


All I Have to Give

by BSBSavedMyLife



Category: AJ McLean - Fandom, BSB, Backstreet Boys, Brian Littrell - Fandom, Howie Dorough - Fandom, Kevin Richardson - Fandom, Nick Carter - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-06-25 02:34:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19736599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BSBSavedMyLife/pseuds/BSBSavedMyLife
Summary: Rachel longed for a way out of the chaotic life under the roof of her alcoholic mother so she followed her best friend, Kristin, to Florida for college. After experiencing the culture shock of adult life, Rachel finds it difficult to juggle college and working full time. Just when the pressure was starting to get too much, her life suddenly takes an interesting turn when she finds herself in the inner circle of the Backstreet Boys.Rachel and Kristin's status as fans become more intimate as they both mingle with the boys and their girlfriends. Can their friendship out stand the chaos of the pop world or will it crumble under the pressure?





	1. Chapter 1

The house was silent as Rachel packed up the last of her things into a box, trying to finish the task that she should've finished the night before. Early mornings were never meant to be productive, at least not in her opinion. She frowned as she ran a hand over her face, exhausted from hours of last minute packing. Procrastination was Rachel's kryptonite. Instead of spending the night finishing her packing, she chose to sit on the computer and chat with her friends. She had to admit that it wasn't her best plan of action. Now she was stuck doing it all with less than four hours of sleep. There wasn't enough coffee in the world to keep her awake at this point.

Daylight was just starting to break as she taped up the last box and stood back onto her feet. Rachel placed her hands on her hips and softly sighed. Her body ached for sleep but she couldn't stop now. She still needed to put these boxes into the trailer so she could get on the road. Stretching her stiff muscles, she slowly looked around at the room that had become her personal sanctuary all through high school. The walls were completely bare and the mood seemed depressing and heartbreaking. This wasn't just a bedroom to her. This was the place she hid to escape the chaos in her life. It was the place she wrote all her books, held slumber parties, and watched countless hours of MTV videos. This bedroom was the only safe haven she had and she was leaving it to embark onto the next chapter of her life...college. It almost seemed unreal that this day had finally come. It was bittersweet and Rachel couldn't decide if she was happy or terrified to be leaving. Either way, she knew it was the right decision.

A chilly draft slithered across her back and Rachel shivered lightly as she walked to her window. She quietly closed it and turned the lock. She closed her eyes at the touch of the cold glass against her fingertips. For a moment, she felt numb and heavy in her legs. She didn't want to move from her spot. If she moved, everything would become real and her life would change dramatically. As much as she knew that change is what she needed, she couldn't help but fear that things would crumble beneath her. All of her life, she had been painfully alone and forced to grow up quickly. She was never allowed to be herself or even make mistakes. Everything she did had to fit perfectly into a mold for her life or she'd suffer the consequences. 

Rachel's borrow furrowed deeply as a sudden wave of anxiety hit her fiercely and was the doubts of her decision to move to Florida swam through her head. She knew moving away was the answer, but she had doubts that things would work out the way they were planned. Plans had fallen through before and luck has never been on her side. She swallowed back the rise of uneasiness within her chest as she thought about all the possibilities of things going wrong once she arrived. It was almost too scary to think about. For once, she just wanted to have things go her way. It was something she felt she deserved.

Rachel exhaled quietly as she pressed her nose against the glass, her breath softly fogging against her lips. She looked out at the driveway and saw her car sitting alone on the pavement. Another sigh escaped her lips as she noticed the touch of frost on the hood. It was barely August and it was obvious that fall was coming early in the Missouri region. The thought of cold weather approaching made her smirk of the idea of sunshine and beaches coming her way. It was at that moment that she assured herself that her decision was the right one. She had to get out of that house. There was no other way around it. If she stayed there any longer, she knew she would be swallowed into the darkness of her mother's own personal misery. It was time to take control of her own life. It was time to be free.

Rachel stepped away from the window and walked to her closet. It was completely bare except for a few wire hangers lightly dangling from the rod. Running her hand over the shelf, she stood up on her tiptoes to make sure she didn't leave anything behind. Slowly lowering herself back down, she sighed as she glanced at the full length mirror on the door. Aside from the box, it was the last thing to take with her. Rachel studied her reflection in the mirror, frowning a little as she smoothed out her hair.. Her slender, 5'1" frame stood meekly in front of her as she observed her black leggings and blue tank top. She stared into her own dark blue eyes and pursed her lips as she slid her purple scrunchie off her wrist and pulled her long, brown hair into a messy bun. Her doubt began to creep over her again as she constructed a plan to remove the mirror from the door. Her fingers traced over the chipping pink paint on the frame as she gripped the mirror tightly. With a touch of frustration, she grabbed the edges of the door and carefully peeled it off the door. The adhesive tape crackled as she pulled it a little harder but the bottom right corner was refusing to give. Rachel grunted as she pried the it off with a loud pop. She closed her eyes at the sound and stepped away from the door with the mirror in her grip. Rachel sighed of relief as she opened her eyes to see that the mirror remained undamaged in her hands. She quietly stepped into the dark hallway and made her way to the front door with the mirror, making it a priority to not break it on her way to the car.

When she stepped outside, she immediately regretted not putting on her favorite oversized Mossimo sweatshirt. A cold breeze blew past her as she quickly made her way to the U-Haul trailer attached to the back of her car. Shivering against the wind, Rachel swiftly unlocked the trailer and slipped the mirror in an opening just thin enough to hold it snugly. Her teeth began to lightly chatter as she ran back into the house to grab the last box.

Rachel crept through the living room, careful to not wake her mother, who was passed out on the couch, the after effect of her drunken adventure the night before. Rachel moved quickly past the living room and back to her bedroom. She stopped in her tracks, surprised to see her brother, Adam, standing in her empty room. Observing him still dressed in his blue Superman pajamas with the feeties, she couldn't help but smile at the appearance of her baby brother. He was always a little immature, but she loved him anyway. Despite the fact that he was eight years old, seeing him standing there among the bare walls made him appear years younger. It was sad and melancholic. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Leaving him behind at such a young age shouldn't have happened, but staying wasn't an option.

"Are you leaving now?" he asked softly, looking up at her with sadness in his brown eyes.

"I just have this last box," Rachel said in a hoarse whisper. "I'm surprised you're awake."

"I wanted to be up when you left," he said as he picked up the box for her. "Walk with me to the car?"

"Okay, but be quiet, Mom's still asleep on the couch."

"What else is new?" he muttered as he carried the box out of the room.

Rachel followed him outside and opened the trailer door for him. Adam carefully placed the box inside and looked at her. Rachel observed her baby brother, hardly believing he was already almost as tall as her. She tousled his curly, black hair and smiled; giving him her best brave face.

"You're growing up so fast, kiddo," Rachel said as she pulled him into a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you," he said softly, squeezing her tight.

"I'm gonna miss you too," Rachel said as she hugged him tighter. "You be good."

"I'm always good," he said as he looked up at her with a frown. "It's Mom who isn't."

Rachel sighed and slowly nodded. "I know," she said as she led him back to the house. "Just try and stay out of her way."

"I'll try," he said as he followed her into the house, quietly shutting the door behind them.

"Go back to bed," Rachel whispered as they entered the living room. "I'll call you from Florida."

"Okay," Adam replied as he gave her one last squeeze. "I love you, Sis."

"I love you too," Rachel said tearfully. "I'll see you soon."

She stood in the dark living room and watched him go back to his room, blinking back the tears as she heard him close the door. Her glance shifted over to her mother who was lightly snoring on the couch. Rachel sighed as she walked over to the coffee table and picked up the empty glass that sat on the edge. As usual, her mother didn't use the coaster and she left a ring under her glass. Rachel frowned as the scent of vodka reached her nose.

"Jesus, Mother," Rachel whispered as she went into the kitchen.

She took a moment to tidy up the counter and put away the dirty dishes before leaving. Rachel pulled out the full trash bag from the bin and tied it up. She made her way to the garage, grabbing the empty cooler with her. Her footsteps echoed as she set the trash bag by the deep freezer. As quietly as she could, she filled up the cooler with ice and drug it back into the kitchen with her. She opened the refrigerator and began adding cans of soda and the sandwiches she had prepared the night before. The cooler was almost full as she placed the last six pack of Coke inside, her hands growing numb from the ice. Flexing her aching fingers, Rachel shut the cooler and jumped at the sight of her mother standing close by.

"What are you doing?" her mother slurred, staring at her with glossy eyes.

"Packing my snacks for the trip," Rachel said as she stood up straight. "Just go back to sleep. I'll be out of here in a minute."

"Yeah, running off like a rebel," her mother spat, rocking slightly to the left as she clumsily brushed her bangs out of her face.

"I'm going to college, Mom," Rachel replied flatly.

"You'll never make it out there."

"Mother, could you for one second stop being cynical and be happy for me? Just this once?"

"You want me to be happy about my daughter running off to God knows where to do God knows what?!" she said a little louder.

"Shhh! You're going to wake Adam," Rachel hissed. "I'm going, Mother. Whether you like it or not, I'm going," she continued as she grabbed the cooler. "Excuse me," she said as she moved in the direction of the front door. She gasped as she felt her mother's icy grip on her arm.

Rachel's mother glared at her as she slapped her across the face. "You ungrateful little bitch! Don't I deserve any respect? I gave you everything I had and you wanna act like none of that matters."

Rachel winced at the pain in her cheek then pushed past her mother, fighting back the tears that were quickly approaching. "I can't do this anymore," she said in tears. I'm leaving and never coming back."

"Rachel Annett, you come back here! I'm not through talking to you."

"Goodbye, Mother," she muttered.

Rachel let the tears spill down her cheeks as she ran out the door with the cooler safe in her arms. She shoved the cooler into the backseat and got into the driver's seat. Rachel saw her mother at the front door, scowling at her, shouting obscenities that she couldn't make out from behind the glass. She turned the ignition, immediately shoved her Backstreet Boys CD into the CD player, and put the car into reverse as the music to Larger Than Life filled the air. Tears still streamed down her cheeks as she backed out of the driveway and headed down the road toward the highway. Pressing harder on the gas pedal, she accelerated onto the highway, barely looking behind her to yield to oncoming traffic. As she reached the first mileage marker, she let out a gasp of air, letting go of all the pressure within her chest. A soft sob escaped her lips as she slowly pulled off onto the shoulder of the highway. Putting the car into park, she laid her head on the steering wheel and allowed herself to release the pain that she had been holding in for hours. Rachel hiccuped as she tried to calm herself, lifting her head to look around. Wiping the tears off her face, she stared down the road that would change the rest of her life. The feeling of relief, fear, and excitement hit her all at once. She had done it...the war was over. It was a new beginning...there was nothing to stand in her way. She was free.


	2. Chapter 2

The sky was just beginning to turn a light shade of pink as Rachel drove down the Florida Turnpike and music softly played through her car. Waves of anxiety and apprehension began to sweep over her as she read the mileage sign. Orlando was less than two miles away. She was officially 1,105 miles away from her hometown. It was the furthest she'd traveled alone but it was scary and freeing at the same time. This was the beginning of a whole new life. New school, new city, and new friends. What more could she possibly want? Rachel tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as she let her mind wander to the life she left behind in Missouri. She wondered if her mom was being nice to her brother. Was she keeping the men out of the house? Was she driving drunk or falling asleep at the wheel? These were just a few of many reasons why Rachel wanted to get out as fast as she could. She'd had enough of the drama in her family. It was time to move on to something better and become the person she always wanted to be. Of course, she questioned if her mother would ever let her be that person. Was traveling across the country far enough away or would she manage to wreak havoc despite the distance?

A frown rested upon her face as she shifted her position in her seat, gripping the steering wheel as she let out a yawn. After driving six hours from Atlanta, she was ready to arrive at her apartment in Orlando. Kristin was probably wondering where she was. Rachel was surprised her phone hadn't rang in the past hour. She was running behind after waking up late and getting on the road two hours past her original scheduled time. She thought that not stopping for lunch would get her there faster, but she didn't take in account of the road work that happened back in Tallahassee. Rachel was never on time. Punctuality wasn't her strong suit.

Letting out a sigh of exhaustion, she reached over and turned up the volume to her favorite Martina McBride song that was playing for the tenth time in a row. Humming along to the melody, Rachel glanced into her rearview mirror before passing a slow moving semi in front of her. Her foot slowly hit the gas a little harder and she passed the big white truck. Merging back into the right hand lane, she began to sing along to the chorus.

"And with a broken wing she still sings. She keeps an eye on the sky. With a broken wing she carries her dreams. Man, you ought to see her fly," she sang loudly.

Raising her hand up to motion along with the music, she smiled to herself at the familiarity of the lyrics. Flying...that's exactly what she was doing in this new season of her life. The chorus came around again and Rachel sang even louder, pumping her fist in the air, declaring her presence upon the Florida Turnpike. Her sweet, soprano voice filled the car in perfect pitch. The anxiety she was previously feeling was slowly melting as she continued to sing along and her mood was beginning to lift. Merging into the far right lane, she softly smiled to herself as found herself officially in Orlando. Butterflies began to form in her stomach as she carefully flowed with the traffic, merging off the turnpike and into the city.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The air conditioner whirred loudly as Kristin turned down the temperature and let out a loud sigh from exhaustion. As much as she enjoyed the idea of living in Orlando, she wasn't used to the change in climate. Compared to the usual weather of Chicago, Orlando had a swampy humidity that she wasn't accustomed to. Kristin knew it was going to take her a while to get used to it. Luckily, she had enough bikinis in her wardrobe to last her for weeks. Any excuse to walk around in a bikini top was more than okay. Kristin was looking forward to spending time by the pool and taking weekend trips to the beach. Her philosophy in life was live every moment as if you're on the red carpet. Florida was full of VIP opportunities and she intended to explore everything she could find.

A slight smile crept across her face as she continued to daydream about parties, shopping, and boys while she picked up a shaggy purple area rug and draped it across the living room floor. She looked around the apartment and nodded in satisfaction. The movers had arrived earlier that day to place her furniture where she wanted it. Everything was brand new, a graduation present from her grandparents. Kristin sat down on the black leather couch and sighed as she rubbed her hand over the smooth material. Taking in a deep breath, the scent of new leather reached her nose and she smiled in contentment as she kicked off her pink flip flops and propped her feet up on the cushion. Running her fingers through her thick, black hair, she closed her eyes and continued to daydream as she soaked in the stillness of the apartment. She smirked at thought of the excitement that had yet to come. Kristin was glad to be on her own. College life was going to open doors that she had waited for years to open. Even though she grew up in a rich family, her parents were strict. She hardly got to experience a normal teenage life. Her parents expected her to make straight A's in school so her social life was practically non existent. Aside from playing the clarinet in marching band, Kristin never got to hang out with people her own age. Her only real friend was Rachel, but after Kristin's family moved to Chicago, the never saw each other except the rare occasion that Rachel came to visit. Their friendship primarily consisted of Emails and late night chats on AOL. Once in a while they would talk on the phone, but it was hard to maintain a normal conversation with her father breathing down her neck to get back to her studies. However, now that she was on her own, she intended to live life to the fullest. She wanted to explore everything that came her way. The only restriction she had was the requirement to maintain a 3.5 GPA in school. If she failed to do that then her parents would stop funding her way through college. Even though they still had the upper hand, Kristin still found living in Florida would be better than being back at home.

Kristin opened her eyes and frowned a little as she wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Evian from the refrigerator. She cracked it open and walked over to the glass door that led out to the balcony. The door lightly creaked as she pried it open and stepped outside. Slowly raising the bottle to her lips and taking a long swig, Kristin admired the view of downtown Orlando, Florida. She breathed in the warm air and grinned widely. It was the life she'd always wanted. The world was her oyster.

After spending several minutes outside, Kristin decided it was time to get back to unpacking even though she'd rather call it a day and pretend everything was done. She hummed to herself as she lazily walked back to her room and unwillingly picked up another box. Setting the box on top of her bed, she sighed as she ripped the tape off the box and put her clothes away in her dresser. As she stepped across the room to retrieve more clothes from the box, her eyes focused on the alarm clock that sat beside her bed. She'd been unpacking for over three hours and there was still no sign of Rachel. As usual, Rachel was running behind schedule. Kristin rolled her eyes at the thought. She and Rachel had been friends for over eight years, but Rachel's time management skills were one of the many things that drove her nuts. Blowing off her annoyance, Kristin picked up her remote to her CD player and turned it on. The room filled with the sounds of her favorite Backstreet Boys song from the US Backstreet's Back album. She giggled as she left the box on the bed and began to prance around her room toward a poster of Nick Carter that she'd already hung on the wall.

"You and me, baby," Kristin said confidently. "We will meet and you will be mine," she said as she childishly blew a kiss at the poster.

A devious giggle escaped her lips as she danced around the room. She turned the volume louder and pulled out the chair from her desk and obnoxiously sang along as she began to perform the chair dance of As Long As You Love Me. Completely aware of how foolish she looked, she still gave herself a cocky smile into the mirror. She stopped dancing and began to observe herself in the mirror, cocking her head to the side as she licked her lips and smoothed out her tank top. Her curvy figure of 5'8" stood confidentially tall as she began to pull her hair back into a messy bun. She studied herself as she moved and frowned. Kristin wrinkled her forehead as she drew in closer to the mirror and observed her eyebrows with her fingers.

"Ugh, I need a wax," she mumbled as she smoothed out her arches.

She sighed as she stood up straight and finished messing with her hair, leaving two strands of hair on the sides of her face. With a nod of approval, she walked back over to the bed and picked up her cell phone to check for missed calls. It was nearly six o'clock in the evening and still no sign of Rachel.

"Where the hell is she?" she muttered to herself.

Kristin set the phone down on the dresser and lightly drummed her freshly manicured nails against the wood. She twisted her lips and picked up the phone to dial Rachel's number. Rachel's phone rang three times and Kristin was already growing impatient. She rolled her eyes and plopped down on her bed.

"Pick up the phone, woman," Kristin muttered under her breath.

"Hello?" said Rachel.

"Girl, where are you? I've been waiting all day!"

"Whoa, hang on," Rachel said.

Kristin snickered to herself when she heard Rachel put the phone down. The sound of the phone fumbling around was amusing to her. She couldn't help but love the fact that Rachel was commonly scattered brained and slightly air headed when it came to multi-tasking. There was loud music playing in her ear. She couldn't help but dance a little when she realized that Everybody (Backstreet's Back) was blaring from Rachel's stereo. She heard Rachel cursing before she picked up the phone. Kristin chuckled and shook her head at her best friend's short temper.

"Sorry about that," Rachel said.

"What was that all about?"

"I nearly ran off the side of the road while talking to you," Rachel said with a soft chuckle.

"Girl, you need to learn how to drive."

"I know how to drive. I'm just not good with the phone and driving at the same time."

"Whatever," Kristin said. "How much longer until you get here?"

"Maybe another thirty minutes. I'm just now getting into Orlando."

"What took you so long anyway?" she asked as she observed her nails.

"I took a stop in Georgia last night. I woke up late and was in a rush to get here."

"Woman, you are never on time."

"At least I'm in Florida," Rachel joked.

"That's not saying much," Kristin replied with a grin. "Do you know how to get here?"

"Yeah, I've got a map."

"Oh, Lord," Kristin replied. "I'll expect another call from you in five minutes," she said with sarcasm.

"Very funny," Rachel retorted.

"Bye," Kristin said with a laugh then hung up, resting the phone on her stomach.

Staring up at the ceiling, she sighed as she mentally coached herself into getting off the bed. With a dramatic sigh, she held her right leg up and rolled off the bed and went back to unpacking her things. The box of clothes was now empty and she decided it was time to open a new one. The soft carpet tickled the balls of her feet as she wandered over by the dresser and scooted a box labeled "fragile" into the middle of the room. Kristin spent nearly twenty minutes unwrapping her breakable items from the bubble wrap and placing them neatly on the bookshelf she had sitting in the corner of the room. Stifling a yawn, she walked back across the room for another box. Shuffling over the mess of bubble wrap, the plastic bubbles popped against her toes as she dragged the box across the floor. She was a little confused as to what was inside. It was the only one that wasn't labeled and it was very well protected with a mass of packing tape around it. A smile spread across her face when she took the scissors to open it. Inside the box was her entire collection of Backstreet Boys memorabilia. She'd been collecting merchandise from all over the world ever since she became a fan. The box was filled with timeless memories of her early adolescence. It was a memory she didn't want to let go of. Backstreet Boys were the only thing that held her friendship with Rachel together. When her father accepted a promotion, her family was forced to move to Chicago during her eighth grade year. The distance between her and Rachel had put a strain on their friendship, but their love for Backstreet Boys was the one thing that never seemed to change no matter how much they had grown up. She was becoming excited with the idea of seeing her again. Aside from E mails and late night chats on AOL, there was no contact between them since they were the delicate age of thirteen. Here they were at eighteen and finally reuniting for longer than a few days. She couldn't think of a better way to spend her college years than with her best friend.

Kristin pulled out her favorite picture of Nick Carter and grinned widely. She studied the picture and softly slid her finger across his lips. Her mind wandered to a fantasy of finding her way into his heart. She couldn't help but sigh at the thought of tasting his kisses. Kristin looked at the picture again and smiled as she looked around her room for a spot to place the picture. Beyond the mess of packing tape, bubble wrap, newspaper, and torn boxes, she was able to locate the perfect spot...on the night stand beside her bed. Kristin placed the picture on the nightstand, strategically turning it to face her side of the bed. Now his face would be the first thing she would see every morning. She admired the picture for a moment and then heard the sound of someone knocking on the front door. Kristin quickly turned around and made her way to the door with excitement. There stood Rachel with a big smile and her arms full of boxes.

"Finally!" Kristin joked as she let her in.

"I know, it's just been a long day," Rachel said as she put down her boxes. "Girl, give me a hug," she said as she stretched out her arms.

Kristin hugged Rachel tight and smiled as she got a good look at her old friend. "It's so good to see you. God, I feel like it's been forever."

"I know, it's been, what, two years?" Rachel asked as she crossed her arms.

"It's been close to that," Kristin said with a nod. "Last time I saw you was at the Backstreet Boys concert back in 1997." Kristin hugged her again. "I'm so glad we're finally in Florida. We're going to have so much fun!"

Rachel laughed. "I know, it feels good to finally be out of Missouri," she said softly, her blue eyes narrowing down at the floor.

"Anything is better than Missouri," Kristin assured.

Rachel drew in a deep breath and nodded. "So, which one is my room?" she asked as she picked up her box.

"This one," Kristin said as she opened the door for her.

Rachel set her boxes down by the wall and looked around, studying everything closely. "Wow, this place looks....well...expensive."

"It's not that bad," Kristin said with a smile. "It's only six hundred a month."

"Oh, that's not bad at all," Rachel said as she set the box down on the floor. "Split that up and that's three hundred a piece."

"No, I meant six hundred a person," Kristin said as she bit her lip.

Rachel's mouth dropped as she stared at Kristin with wide eyes. "Whoa, wait. Kristin, I told you I was on a budget. I can't afford that much."

"Well, it's kinda too late. My godfather cosigned for me," Kristin said. "Actually, it's more like he's going to pay my way as long as I keep my grades up," she said with a grin.

"Well, that certainly doesn't help me none," Rachel said in frustration. "I've got a little cash saved up. I'm just gonna have to bust my butt and find a job."

"Yeah, sounds like a good deal to me," Kristin said as she grabbed Rachel's arm.

"Alright, I've got a ton of more stuff out in the car. You wanna help?"

"Yeah," Kristin said as she made her way over to the coffee table and slipped on her flip flops.

As they walked out onto the parking lot, she took a glimpse of Rachel's purple 1998 Dodge Neon that had a small U-Haul trailer attached to it and laughed, shaking her head at the sight. "I thought you said you didn't have much to bring with you?"

"I didn't," Rachel said as she opened the trailer. "I left most of my stuff at home."

"I'm surprised you didn't pull your bumper off with this thing," she joked.

"Oh, shut up. There's not that much stuff in here," Rachel said as she handed Kristin a box. "It's my bed that was too big to fit in the car."

"Right," Kristin said as she walked back to the apartment with the boxes.

The girls chatted light heartedly as they unpacked all the boxes before unpacking. After 45 minutes of unloading the trailer, Kristin helped Rachel unpack some of her boxes. Grunting loudly, she drug in a big box from the living room. It was very heavy and took all of her body weight to push it into the bedroom.

"What the fuck do you have in here? It weighs a ton," she asked as she lightly kicked it.

Rachel glanced at the box and grinned. "Read the label."

Kristin looked on the side of the box and laughed loudly. "Backstreet Boys Stuff. Fragile!" she read out loud. "You act like it's expensive china or something."

"It is!" Rachel said as she stood up. "Move over," she said as she pushed Kristin out of the way.

"Girl, you need mental help," Kristin said while watching her open the box. "Oh, my god, you wrapped everything in bubble wrap and put towels in between stuff. You have officially lost it."

"Oh, hush," Rachel said as she began pulling some items out of the box. "It's not like you don't have stuff too."

"Yeah, but you've got your entire collection in this huge box. Forget your bed being too big for your car. It was this box!" she joked.

"Bite me!" Rachel said as she pulled out a framed poster of Brian. "Look at this man. He is so hot!"

Kristin shook her head. "Nick is hotter...by a landslide."

"Nick is cute," Rachel nodded in agreement. "But Brian's got what I like."

"That's because you have bad taste."

"You're mean today," Rachel said with a fake frown. "I don't think I like you anymore."

"Oh, stop it. You know I love you," Kristi said as she hugged Rachel. "I've had about enough of this unpacking shit. Let's go eat somewhere."

"Good idea," Rachel said as she set the poster against the wall. "Pizza?"

"I should've known," Kristi said with a grin. "Let's go. We're taking my car."

"Okay," Rachel said as she followed Kristin outside.

Both girls left the apartment and headed to Kristin's car on the pretty mid August day that Orlando was having. They breathed in the fresh air and felt their energy being restored as they walked across the parking lot. Kristin's mouthed watered as she smelled the scent of someone having a BBQ. Her stomach loudly grumbled; suddenly realizing that she'd not eaten anything all day. She glanced over at Rachel and snickered as she watched her look around like a lost child in the park.

"It's really beautiful here," Rachel said with excitement.

"I know, I love it," said Kristin in agreement.

"We had nice weather in Missouri, but this is unbelievable."

"Yeah, but it's swampy here though," she said as she wrinkled her nose. "That's the part I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to."

"Meh, you'll get over," Rachel joked as she stopped at Kristin's car. Her eyes widened a little as she looked over the hood at Kristin. "So, uh...what do you think the odds are of us running into...you know," Rachel said with a grin.

Kristin laughed. "Girl, you have a one track mind," he said as she unlocked the car.

Rachel smirked and got into the passenger seat. "Well?"

"I think you should realize there's more to life than Backstreet Boys," Kristin said as she turned the ignition.

"I know this," Rachel said as she put on her seatbelt. "I'm just saying. We're in their hometown...and they're not touring."

Kristin snickered ad turned on her radio. "Sing along with the CD and shut up, you goober."

Rachel reached over and turned to her favorite track. She grinned wildly as the music began to play. Kristin laughed as she started to dance in her seat.

"Oh my god, we're back again!" Rachel sang.

Kristin cracked up and continued to drive. "I'm so scared to call you my best friend."

"Brothers, sisters everybody sing!" she continued. "Come on, Kris, you know the words."

Kristin laughed as she sang along with Rachel. They came to a stop light and they immediately broke into a fit of giggles as they did some of the dance moves to the song. Kristin looked over at Rachel and grinned widely. She knew it was the beginning of an amazing adventure.


	3. Chapter 3

_"You're nothing but a filthy whore!" Rachel's mother shouted as she burst through her bedroom door with a stack of papers in her hand._

_Rachel jumped at the sound of her door being flung open and quickly removed her headphones from her ears. Resting them on her shoulders, she could still hear the faint sound of Backstreet Boys playing over her portable CD player. Her brow furrowed as stared at her mother in confusion, both offended and annoyed that she invaded her privacy by not knocking._

_"Are you fucking this guy?" her mother spat out as she moved closer to the bed._

_Rachel frowned as she observed her mother stumbling towards her bed. She straightened her back, remaining in her Indian style position as she placed her notebook beside her. Rachel collected herself before speaking. Swallowing back her sarcasm, her eyes met her mother's as she spoke. "Who are you talking about?"_

_"This guy you've been talking to!" her mother shouted a little louder._

_"I haven't been --"_

_"Don't you fucking lie to me, young lady! I know what you've been up to!" she stated as she dropped the stack of papers on Rachel's lap. "Did you really think I wouldn't find these?"_

_Rachel stared down at the stack of papers. Her eyes widened as she realized they were handwritten love letters that she had stashed away in a box. Anger boiled inside of her belly as she gripped the papers and slid them under her pillows._

_"You went through my stuff?!"_

_"You didn't answer my question. Are you fucking this boy, huh?"_

_"Mom, I haven't--"_

_"Shut up, you fucking whore!" her mother stated, raising her hand and quickly slapping her across the face with brute force._

_Rachel gasped at the impact of her mother's hand against her cheek. Her breath staggered as she tried to control the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. She looked back over at her mother and opened her mouth to speak but no words would come out. Her mother angrily reached down and grabbed Rachel by the ponytail and dragged her off the bed. Rachel screamed, kicking and thrashing her legs as she continued to drag her across the carpet._

_"Let go of me! Mom! Stop! Please!"_

_"I did not raise you to be a slut!" her mother stated in a booming voice, pausing between each word with another strike to Rachel's face._

_Rachel sobbed at every impact of her mother's hand. Struggling to get out from underneath her mom's grip, she shrieked loudly. "Stop it! Stop it! You're hurting me --"_

Rachel let out a loud gasp as she quickly sat up, catching her breath. She looked around the dark room for a moment, confused as to where she was. Running a hand over her face, she sighed as she realized she had woken up from a nightmare. Her heart raced against her chest as she lowered herself back down onto her pillow. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she settled back under blankets, feeling frustrated that the recurring dream of that unpleasant memory had followed her to Florida. It was the same dream she had been having for the past two years. It was a memory she wished she could forget but her subconscious failed to let go. Staring up at the ceiling, she frowned as she wiped the tears off her cheeks and sniffled quietly. The air conditioner kicked on with a soft whir as Rachel rolled over onto her left side, gripping her pillow to adjust angle against her neck. The chilly air seeped into her room and she tugged on her blankets and wrapped them tightly around herself. Bringing her knees to her torso, she let out a soft breath of air as she grabbed her stuffed teddy bear and curled her arms around it. Resting her chin against the bear's soft, plush head, she relaxed her body, in hopes of going back to sleep. Her eyes slowly began to close as she focused on her breathing. Burying her cheek into the teddy bear's head, she laid quietly in the dark, listening to the air conditioner softly humming. Even though she wasn't falling asleep, she was relieved to feel relaxed beneath the comfort of her blankets. Tracing her fingers through her teddy bear's fur in a circular motion, she began to softly count to herself. It was an old coping mechanism from early childhood.

"One...," she whispered into the dark. "Two...three...four...five..."

As she continued to count to herself, the counting was interrupted by the sound of Kristin's radio alarm going off in the bedroom next door. Rachel glanced at her clock, the glowing numbers blurry from not having her contacts in. Squinting to see, she slowly sat up and gave the clock a closer look. It was 5:45 AM. She plopped back down on her pillow and creased her brow in confusion. Why was she getting up so early? Rachel licked her dry lips and sighed with her eyes closed, remembering that it was Monday...the first day of college. Her heartbeat quickened in both excitement and anxiousness. She wasn't sure if she was ready for her first day. It was going to be a big change from high school. New classes, new building, and new people. Her stomach sank at the idea of being surrounded by complete strangers. Being sociable wasn't her strongest suit. She had always been the shy and awkward one compared to Kristin who was a social butterfly. Going to class without Kristin by her side was going to be her biggest challenge but she knew things would fall in place eventually.

Rachel jumped when a loud thump was heard from the other room. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. It amazed her how long it took Kristin to get ready in the morning. Getting up at 5:45 seemed like an ungodly hour to be alert. She stared at the ceiling as the familiar chorus of I Want It That Way played over the radio and scrunched up her nose, pulling the blankets over her head. It was definitely too early for Backstreet Boys. However, the tone of their voices eased her thoughts a little and she laid quietly, listening to the song; hoping that sleep would fall back into her body. As the song ended, she heard the radio DJ talking about an upcoming Backstreet Boys show and she sighed, knowing she likely wouldn't have the money for it. She heard Kristin talking to herself and assumed it was in reference to the DJ's topic of choice. Letting out a huff against the stuffiness of the blankets over her head, she quickly pulled them off and sat up. She groaned in irritation as he hair fell into a mess of static electricity around her face. A frown formed across her lips as she attempted to smooth away the annoying fuzzy sensation within the strands that clung to her cheeks. Letting out a yawn, she swung her legs over to the edge of the bed and stretched her arms. The music from Kristin's room became louder and Rachel sighed as she rubbed her eyes, not wanting to come out of the room and face the day. She lazily reached over to her night stand and grabbed her glasses, and stood up, stretching her legs as she scooted her feet across the soft carpet, search of her kitty slippers.

"Might as well get up," she muttered as she sluggishly slid her feet into her slippers and dramatically flung the door open, frowning as she headed towards the kitchen. The music from Kristin's continued to play as Rachel dragged her feet across the living room carpet, taking in a deep breath as she turned on the light to the kitchen. She winced at the bright light above her head and sighed as she clumsily fumbled around to move the coffeemaker closer to her. Turning the cold water on, she grabbed the carafe and filled it up to 8 cups, knowing that Kristin would want some too. Her hands began to shake as she carefully poured the water into the back of the coffeemaker. She gripped the handle tighter in attempt to stop the shaking, but the water began to spill off the side and dripping off the counter. Rachel groaned to herself as she gripped the handle tighter and quickly poured the rest of the water in before grabbing a towel to clean up the water spill. Plopping the damp towel beside the sink, she sighed loudly as she pulled the canister of Folgers Coffee from out of the cupboard. Setting it down on the counter, Rachel pulled off the plastic lid, revealing the unopened foil seal of the coffee canister. She struggled with the seal for a moment, pinching the edge between her fingers. She scowled as the foil crinkled loudly as she continued to pry it open. Rachel bit her lower lip and tugged a little harder, causing the coffee to fly out of the canister and all over the floor and cabinet. She groaned loudly as she looked at her own mess. 

"Perfect," she mumbled as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

Rachel pursed her lips together as she grabbed the broom out from off the hook beside the refrigerator. She slowly swept up the coffee into a pile swept it into the dustpan and carefully carried it over to the trash can to dump it. Rachel sighed again as she put the broom back on the hook and grabbed a roll of paper towels and pulled a couple sheets off the roll. Her diverted to the entryway when she heard Kristin walking into the kitchen with a towel on her head. Kristin looked over at the mess of coffee grounds on the counter and raised a brow as she looked back at Rachel.

"What the hell did you do?" Kristin said as she observed the mess again.

"I had an accident, but I'm cleaning it up," Rachel said as she gathered the coffee with a dry paper towel.

"I don't know how you do this stuff," Kristin said as she pushed past Rachel. "How hard can it be?"

Rachel frowned at Kristin as she felt Kristin shove her out of the way with her hip. "Kris, seriously, don't start with me this morning. It's bad enough I was woken up nearly two hours early, but now I have a mess to clean up."

"You're cranky," Kristin said as she placed the coffee filter into the coffee maker.

"I am not!" Rachel stated in a slightly raised voice, feeling the tension building in her chest.

"Don't start that crap," Kristin muttered as she spooned the coffee grounds into the filter and shut the lid, hitting the brew button before turning around to face Rachel. "Let me know when that's finished, will ya?"

"Fine," Rachel said as she threw away her paper towel, swallowing back the tightness in her throat.

Rachel blinked back the tears as she watched Kristin walk back to her bedroom and shut the door. She sighed loudly as she forced herself to collect her emotions and go to the fridge for a bagel. Sniffling lightly, she clenched her jaw as she removed the package of bagels from the second shelf and scooped up the container of cream cheese with the other hand. Setting both items on the counter, she began to mentally count to herself as she untwisted the wire tie to open the bagels. The coffeemaker bubbled loudly behind her as the kitchen filled with the aroma of fresh coffee. Rachel winced at the pain reaching her chest as she opened the container of cream cheese before opening the drawer beside her. Her anxiety began to rise as she got out the knife and cut her bagel in half. Her hands began to lightly tremble she put it into the toaster and leaned against the counter. Leaning against the counter, she felt her heartbeat slowly increasing as her breath began to hitch in her throat. A sudden rush of temperature swarmed through her body, giving her the sensation of being enclosed and swallowed from the inside out. An uncontrollable urge to panic began to surge through her brain as she gripped onto the counter to keep from fainting. It was happening...a panic attack. Struggling to find something to focus on, Rachel stared at the toaster as the bagel popped up. She couldn't move. Her body felt frozen in the midst of her overwhelming anxiety. Rachel managed to turn herself around just as Kristin came back into the kitchen, making her way back to the coffeemaker, oblivious to what was happening. 

"I'm so excited for my new classes," Kristin said as she pulled out a mug. "Aren't you?"

Rachel clenched her jaw as she her head and Kristin looked her way. Rachel forced herself to nod at Kristin's statement, attempting to force words out of her mouth, but her throat wouldn't allow the words to release. Her eyes met Kristin's as she was blowing on the rim of her mug to cool down her coffee. Kristin creased her brow as she observed Rachel, setting her mug back down and stepped closer to her.

"Rach? What's wrong?"

"I--I'm fine," she spat out as she closed her eyes, feel her whole body beginning to tremble.

Vertigo was starting to sweep over her as the room was slowly swaying around her. She was sure she would faint if she let go of the counter. The tightness of her chest increased to a painful level as she closed her eyes. Before she could react, she'd already dropped to the floor, hiccuping from hyperventilation. Kristin's voice echoed in her head as she slowly opened her eyes, unable to focus on anything around her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as Kristin helped Rachel sit up and shoved a pill into her hand. 

"Take your Xanax," Kristin said as she guided Rachel to put the pill into her mouth and helped her sip on a glass of water. 

Rachel swallowed the pill and began to sob, covering her face in humiliation. This wasn't how she wanted to start her first day of college. This wasn't how any of this was supposed to happen. 

"Just breathe normal, Rach," Kristin said as she put the water back on the counter and gripped Rachel's arm, coaching her through the staggered breathing.

Rachel breathed slowly, feeling relief as her chest began to loosen, making it easier to breathe. Kristin frowned at Rachel and sat on the floor beside her, still coaching her through the breathing. Several minutes had passed before either of them spoke and Rachel could feel the Xanax starting to kick in.

"When was the last time you went to the doctor?" Kristin asked as she stood up to grab her coffee.

"Kristin, don't start," Rachel said as she laid her head on her knees, not wanting to discuss the issue.

"I'm being serious. When was the last time you went to the doctor."

"I don't need a lecture from you this morning. I'm fine," Rachel replied as she rubbed her hands over her face.

"You have got to be kidding me," Kristin said with a scowl, sipping her coffee between glances at Rachel.

"I don't need to see a doctor. The meds are plenty."

"Rach, as your friend, I'm telling you to see a doctor. You told me that these panic attacks weren't an issue for you anymore."

"They're not," Rachel denied.

"It sure as hell doesn't look like it," Kristin argued.

Rachel slowly stood up and shook her head. "When the meds run out, I will see a doctor. I'm just nervous about school and it got to me. That's all," she said as she poured herself a mug of coffee and mixed in some creamer, turning away from Kristin to set her bagel on a plate. "Now, I'm going to eat my bagel and get ready for class," she said as she went into her room. 

She was a little surprised that Kristin didn't put up a bigger fight, but she was relieved she didn't. It was bad enough she had to deal with her mother, but she didn't want to have to deal with Kristin too. She sighed to herself and made her way over to her computer, hoping she'd find an Email from her brother. Rachel chomped on her bagel as she impatiently waited for the modem to load. Licking some of the cream cheese off her bagel, she stared at the screen as it began to connect. The familiar sound of the model connecting to the internet made her smile slightly. In the other room, she could hear the sound of Kristin turning up her music as she continued getting ready for class. Rachel rolled her eyes as she watched the screen load AOL.

"You've got mail!" said the voice announcer.

Rachel smiled as she click on her inbox. It was a letter from her brother, Adam. She polished off her bagel and opened the E mail from him, chewing intently as she read it softly to herself.

_Hey, Sis! How is Florida? I miss you already. Everything is the same here. Mom was arrested again last night for drunk driving. I'm staying with dad. Wish you were here. Not the same without you. I hope you have a good first day of school. Write me and tell me all about it. I love you! Adam._

Rachel's eyes stung with tears as she read the Email over and over. It was a reminder why she left home in the first place. Her stomach pained with guilt of leaving her brother behind, but she knew he was safe when he was with their father. As much as it pained her, she knew things were better this way. Rachel swallowed hard as she exited out of AOL, choosing to save her response until after she got done with her classes. Her eyes shifted to the clock next to her bed. It was almost 6:30, it was time to get ready for her first class. Frowning at the clock, she slowly got out of her chair and made her way to the bathroom.

A hot shower was usually Rachel's cure for a bad morning, but it didn't relieve her of the pain she held inside. She felt as if her world was closing in on her. In Missouri she felt suffocated...now she felt trapped. Not even forty eight hours into her time in Florida and she was finding every reason in the world to leave.

As she stood in the shower, she found herself lost in thought over the events of the past month. Everything from fights with her mother, to packing for Florida, to arriving in Orlando. Everything seemed to have happened too fast. There hadn't been any time to let it all sink in. Rachel was unsure if she could make any of this work, but she knew she had to try. Anything was better than being under the same roof as her mother.

Turning off the water, she stepped out of the shower with the mirror completely fogged up. Grabbing a towel from the rack, she dried herself off and stepped toward the sink to brush her teeth. Rachel wiped the mirror clean with her towel and stared at herself. She was looking for a change and nothing seemed to make the reality go away. Moving to Florida hadn't made her worries disappear. They had followed her and now she felt even more alone than she did before. Sure she was living here with her best friend, but her gut told her that things weren't going to be the same as they did in high school. Chicago had changed Kristin and abuse had changed Rachel. She couldn't help but wonder if they could live together without fighting all the time. 

Her somber daze was interrupted by the sound of Kristin leaving the apartment without saying goodbye. Rachel frowned at herself in the mirror. Silent treatments from Kristin were the worst. She knew it was a sure sign that she'd be hearing an argument later. Rachel sighed and went back to getting herself ready for the day. As much as she dreaded it, she knew the only way to get past this emotional roller coaster was do what she always did...press on and keep fighting. Offering herself a fake smile, she nodded at her reflection. 

"It's fine...I'll be just fine."


	4. Chapter 4

The sun was shining brightly against Rachel's back as she walked across the campus to find a spot to sit down for a while. The distant chatter of fellow students was heard in the distance as she flung her backpack over her shoulder and gripped the strap to secure it in place. Rachel scowled for a moment as she stopped to look around, hoping to find a semi private location to unwind from her biology class. After an hour of listening to the monotone voice of her professor, Rachel was looking forward to sitting alone and relaxing for the next two hours. Normally, she would go back to the apartment to rest, but today she decided that staying on campus was the better option. Especially since she and Kristin hadn't spoken much in the past week. Ever since her panic attack, Kristin seemed a little distant towards her. With the exception of Backstreet Boys, they'd barely said a word to each other. Rachel couldn't decide if Kristin was annoyed or uncomfortable with her having a panic attack. Either way, it was frustrating to live in the same apartment with someone giving the cold shoulder.

Rachel sighed as she shook the thoughts of her head and settled on a spot beneath a shady tree located outside the cafeteria. The smell of burgers and fries wafted through the air as she sat down, placing her backpack in front of her. Her mouth watered a little as she realized she was hungry. The thought of french fries dipped in a ketchup and mayo mix seemed like heaven but she knew she couldn't afford to blow any of her money until she found a job. Rachel observed a group of girls who were giggling as they walked by, feeling a twinge of anxiety as she forced herself to offer a polite smile as they ignored her presence and kept walking. Rachel grimaced as she reached into her bag and pulled out a PB&J sandwich and a newspaper. Folding the paper in half, she stared intently at the job listings as she opened the sandwich bag and took a bite of her sandwich. She sighed as she chewed slowly and circled a possible job working the front desk at a hotel. The jelly from her sandwich began to drip down her finger as she read through a couple more ads. Licking the jelly off her finger, she shifted her position on the grass and creased her brow as she set the sandwich down on her backpack. Rachel slid her purple srunchie off her wrist and pulled her hair back into a bun and went back to reading the paper. As she picked up her sandwich and took another bite, a warm breeze blew past her, causing the paper to slip away from her grasp. Rachel rolled her eyes with a groan of frustration as she walked over to the bench where the paper had come to a stop. She noticed a slender figured girl sitting at the bench, talking loudly on her cell phone, obviously in a heated argument with the person on the other line. Trying to avoid being nosy, Rachel awkwardly bent down to pick up her paper, but the girl moved her foot and pressed it over the paper. Rachel glanced up at her with pleading eyes, hoping she would remove her foot from the paper without any conversation. The girl raised her voice and stomped on the paper, making Rachel jump a little and stepped away before she ended up with smashed fingers.

"Alex, I swear to God if you yell at me one more time, I'm hanging up on you!" she exclaimed. "Fuck you! If you can't talk to me in a decent tone, I'm so done with this conversation!" she continued then hung up the phone.

The girl sighed loudly and looked over at Rachel with a scowl. Her forehead wrinkled as the breeze blew her shoulder length brown hair across her face. Rachel looked at her and shifted her glance down at the paper still under the girl's foot as her stomach twisted in knots with apprehension.

"I swear that man has more issues than Times Magazine," the girl said while shaking her head. "You got a boyfriend?"

"No," Rachel said, not taking her eyes off the now wrinkled newspaper.

"Smart girl," she said with a more relaxed tone as she dug through her purse, pulling out a cigarette. "You got a light?"

Rachel looked up and watched her as she pulled random items out of her purse. "Uh...no, sorry, I don't smoke."

"You must be a genius, don't ever start," the girl joked with a friendly smile. "I'm sorry, I'm Amanda," she stated.

Rachel gave her a short nod. "I'm Rachel."

"Nice to meet you," Amanda said as she continued to dig through her purse. "Found it!" she said as she pulled out a pink lighter.

Amanda lit her cigarette and took in a deep breath, pausing for a moment before slowly exhaling a puff of smoke. Rachel crossed her arms and awkwardly stood beside her as she took a few more drags off her cigarette before glancing back up at her. Rachel bit her bottom lip and shyly smiled at Amanda.

"Does this bother you?" she asked as she shielded the smoke with her hand.

"No, you're fine," Rachel replied with a shy chuckle. "But...um...you're standing on my paper though," she said with a smirk.

Amanda looked down at her feet. "Oh...sorry," she said as she took her foot off the paper.

"It's okay," Rachel said as she quickly bent down to pick it back up and smoothed out a few of the wrinkles.

"Looks like I tore it a little," Amanda said as she took another puff. "Job hunting?"

"Yeah," Rachel said as she folded the paper in half.

"I could help you with that, if you want," Amanda replied as she flicked her ashes onto the pavement.

"Really?" Rachel replied with relief. "I don't even know where to start."

"Yeah, it's the least I can do since I ripped your paper," she continued as she placed her cigarette into the ashtray that stood beside the bench.

"What kind of job?" Rachel asked as she looked back at her backpack, still sitting in her original spot by the tree.

"It's a waitressing job at this place called Royal Thai. I just quit there and they're going to need someone to replace me," she said as she glanced at Rachel who was giving her a look of hesitation. "Don't worry, it's a good place to work," she assured. "I just didn't need the job anymore."

"Oh, okay," Rachel replied with a slow nod, shoving her hands into her pockets. "Do you think they've filled the position yet?"

"Not likely," Amanda said with a sincere smile. "Here, let me give you the address," she continued as she dug into her purse for a pen. "Got something to write on?"

"Yeah, it's in my bag. Let me go get it," Rachel replied as she ran over to get her bag and quickly made her way back with the bag slung over her shoulder. Setting the bag down at her feet, Rachel unzipped it and pulled out a notepad. "Here you go," she said as she handed it to Amanda.

Amanda clicked her pen and quickly jotted down the address and phone number of the restaurant. She smiled softly as she handed it back to Rachel.

"That's the info. It's not far from here. You just go down Orange Drive and take a left on Clifton," she stated as she motioned her hands in the direction of the restaurant. "It's right on the corner. Just go there and ask for Phil. He's the hiring manager."

"Thanks, I do appreciate that," said as she put the notepad back into her backpack and zipped it shut.

"No problem" Amanda said as she put the pen back in her purse. "Forgive me, but I'm horrible with names. I've already forgotten yours already."

"Rachel," she said with a smile.

"It's nice to see a new face," she said with a nod. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Rachel shook her head. "No, how did you know?"

"Your accent," she said with a smirk. "You've got a little bit of a southern drawl."

Rachel laughed and looked up at the sky. "Is it that noticeable?"

"Just a tad," Amanda said with a chuckle.

"Great," Rachel replied flatly as she pushed a strand of loose hair away from her face.

"Don't worry about it. It gives you character," she said as her phone began to ring. "Ugh, it's probably Alex again. Excuse me," she said as she opened her phone. "Yes?"

Rachel smiled as she glanced at her watch and contemplated on waiting for Kristin or heading over to the restaurant. Amanda glanced over at her and pointed her finger up to motion for her to stay put.

"Baby, hold on for one second," she said as she covered her phone. "I'm sorry, he's being persistent. Listen, I'm sure I'll see you around campus. Can we talk another time?"

"Yeah, not a problem," Rachel replied with a smile. "I should go check out that job position anyway."

"Okay, see you around," Amanda said with a smile.

Rachel returned the smile and waved goodbye as she walked down the sidewalk to the parking lot. The sun blared down on her back as she slid on her blue tinted sunglasses. In the distance, she noticed Kristin standing by her car, waving Rachel over with an excited grin on her face. Rachel raised her eyebrows in curiosity as she picked up the pace in her stride and made her way over to her car. Kristin was bouncing around like an excited child on Christmas morning.

"What's up?" Rachel asked as she unlocked the driver's side door.

"Girl, I just heard the best news! I just had to share it with you!"

Rachel laughed as she opened the door and dropped her backpack in the passenger seat. "And just what is this fabulous news?"

"I just heard on the radio that Backstreet Boys are performing at the Hard Rock Cafe tomorrow night! We can totally get VIP for only a hundred bucks!"

Rachel tilted her head to the side and stared at Kristin from her position by the car. "Um, did you forget that I don't have a job yet? I can't afford to be spending all kinds of money right now."

"Rachel, it's only a hundred bucks. Come on! We'd get the chance to be up close and meet them! Are you insane?!"

"Not all of us have the privilege to spend money when they want," Rachel pointed out.

"Never mind," Kristin muttered. "I'll fucking go by myself then."

Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed. "Kristin, please don't start."

"Well, you call yourself a fan, but you aren't willing to cough up a few bucks to see them live."

"It's not a few bucks to me, Kris! I have to actually watch what I spend. I'm sorry that I don't come from a rich family like you do!"

"Why are you fucking yelling at me?"

"Because you're being a pain in my ass!" Rachel said as she got into the car and rolled down the passenger window, glaring at Kristin as she stuck her head inside the window. "Move so I can go check on a job offer."

"I really hope you're not going to be like this for the next four years," Kristin said with a glare and stepped away from the car.

Rachel rolled her eyes and turned on the ignition. She rolled up the window and ignored Kristin as she put the car in reverse and left the parking lot, heading to the direction of the restaurant. As she pulled into the parking lot, her heart began to nervously race. She hadn't been interviewed since she was sixteen at her first job. Rachel parked her car and double checked her hair and make up before going into the restaurant.

As soon as she walked into the building, she was almost overwhelmed with the hypnotizing scent of Thai food. The decor was all in red and black with dim lighting displayed by red and black lanterns. She looked around and saw a tall, skinny man standing behind the cash register. Rachel straightened her shirt and carefully approached him.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Phil," Rachel said with a confident smile.

"That would be me," he said as he shut the register. "What can I do for you?"

"My name is Rachel Crawford and I was told there might be a job opening for a waitress."

"Do you have any experience?"

"Four years as a waitress at Applebee's in my hometown."

Phil nodded and handed her a piece of paper. "Come over to this table with me. You can fill this out while we talk."

"Works for me," Rachel said as she took the paper and followed him to the table.

She took a seat across from him at the table. Phil clasped his hands together and looked at her as she began filling out the application.

"I can imagine that if you've worked for Applebee's that you've been exposed to high speed service?"

"Many times," Rachel said with a nod. "I was one of the top servers last year. I'm very good at what I do," Rachel said with a pleasant smile.

"Well, you certainly do carry yourself well," Phil said with a nod of agreement. "How soon could you start if I decide to hire you?"

"Would tonight sound too desperate?" she said with an uncertain glance.

Phil chuckled and shook his head. "How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow works too. I'm out of class by three."

"I tell you what. I'll start you out on a probationary period. If everything works out, I'll hire you on a permanent basis."

Rachel grinned widely and held out her hand. "Thank you so much, sir."

"You're welcome," he replied. "Be here at five tomorrow evening. We'll get you set up with a table and go over the training process."

"Perfect," Rachel replied as she handed him the filled out application. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Looking forward to it," he said with a smile.

Rachel stood up and swung her purse over her shoulder as she stepped out of the building. She beamed with excitement as she got into her car. As she turned on the car, the radio blared with music of As Long As You Love Me. Rachel lightly danced in her seat as she pulled out of the parking lot and went into the direction of her apartment. She couldn't wait to tell Kristin the good news.

Traffic was surprisingly light for early rush hour and getting home took less time than it usually did. Rachel whizzed through the traffic lights and made it back to the apartment in less than ten minutes. She quickly got out of the car and ran up the stairs to the apartment. Rachel unlocked the door and burst through the it, hoping Kristin would be in the living room waiting for her. Just as suspected, Kristin was lounging on the couch, watching TRL. She turned down the volume as Rachel hastily stepped over to the recliner and plopped down with a smile spread across her face.

"What's up?" Kristin as she sat up straight.

"I think I got a job!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I just back from the interview. They're gonna hire me on a trial basis to see how I do. I start tomorrow!"

Kristin's eyes lit up and grinned at Rachel. "So, now you can buy a VIP ticket with me!"

Rachel's smile faded into a frown as she looked at Kristin. "Kris, I told you that I can't afford that stuff right now."

"But you have a job"

"Not yet, I don't. Besides, if they do hire me on a permanent basis, I more than likely won't get my first paycheck for another three weeks. I need to preserve my money."

"You're going to be getting tips," Kristin said in a huffy tone.

"Kris, seriously, stop bugging me about the tickets. I can't afford it. Just go by yourself. I'm not stopping you."

"No way am I going to a BSB concert alone," Kristin said. "What if I bought you the ticket and you pay me back later."

Rachel waved her hand in surrender. "Do whatever you want, Kris," she said as she stood up. "I'm going to take a bath. If anyone calls, tell them I'll call back later."

"Fine," Kristin muttered as she turned the volume back up on the TV.

Rachel ignored Kristin's childish behavior and made her way into the bedroom. She shut the door behind her and immediately clicked on the AOL icon on her computer. As it was loading, she gathered her pajamas and bathrobe. The familiar sound of the AOL announcer was heard. She glanced at the screen and saw that it was a message from her mother. Rachel stared at the message title for a moment then rolled her eyes. She wasn't in the mood to read any drama. There was no sense in letting a good day turn sour with a note from her mother. Without a second though, she closed AOL and went for her bath. For once in her life, she wanted to pretend like everything was perfect. The drama could wait for another time.


	5. Chapter 5

“Oh, you son of a bitch," Rachel muttered as she witnessed the driver of a gray Ford sedan steal her parking spot on the street. Letting out a huff of frustration, she twisted her lips and took her foot off the brake and gazed up the road for another place to park.

The windshield wipers quietly squeaked as she drove a half block and found another empty parking spot. She scowled as she carefully pulled into the parking space, grateful that there wasn't another car parked so she didn't have to attempt parallel parking in the rain. Rachel put the car in park and turned off the ignition, grabbing her light blue hoodie from the passenger seat to put it on. After she slipped her right arm into the hoodie, she grabbed her backpack from the passenger floorboard and pulled it closer to her as she slipped her left arm into the hoodie. She loosely draped the hood over her head and quickly got out of the car, bowing her head in attempt to avoid getting soaked. Rachel swung her backpack over her shoulder and began jogging towards the building beside her car, sighing of relief as she got under the awning and was able to walk at a normal pace. Inhaling the sweet scent of fresh rain on hot asphalt, Rachel found herself smiling a little. Rain on a hot day was one of her favorite smells and it was her favorite kind of weather.

Thunder roared loudly in the distance as she picked up the pace a little, gripping the strap of her backpack as she hopped over a puddle before opening the door of the coffee shop that she'd discovered a few days before. It was a small shop and she found it to be the perfect spot to sit and write for a little while, especially early in the morning.

Even though it was Saturday, Rachel found herself unable to sleep in past her usual alarm clock time. Of course, the inability to sleep wasn't anything new for her. This had been going on for months and there didn't seem to be any sign of that changing any time soon. Rather than staying at home, taking the risk of waking Kristin, she decided to take a trip to the coffee shop instead.

Rachel slid the hood of her hoodie off her head and looked around for a moment. The coffee shop was empty with the exception of two employees behind the counter. The soft clanking of dishes and the two employees chatting were the only sounds that could be heard as Rachel casually stepped up to the counter. The scent of fresh coffee wafted beneath her nose as she observed the menu, feeling her stomach growl from hunger. Rachel looked over at the display of breakfast pastries, examining each one before deciding upon a cheese danish. She set her backpack on the counter, pulling out her wallet as a young brunette girl with the nametag, "Nikki" came to the register.

"Good morning," the Nikki said sweetly.

"Morning," Rachel replied.

"What can I get for you today?"

"Can I please get an endless mug and a cheese danish?" Rachel stated as she pulled a twenty dollar bill out of her wallet.

"Sure thing," Nikki stated as she punched buttons on the register and smiled as she placed a mug on the counter. "That's gonna be $6.43."

Rachel handed her the twenty dollar bill and grabbed the handle of the mug, waiting patiently for her change, glancing over her shoulder as another crack of thunder was heard from outside.

"Would you like that danish warmed up?" Nikki asked as she handed Rachel her change.

"That would be great," Rachel replied with a smile.

"Alright, I'll bring it out to you as soon as it's ready," Nikki replied as she took a danish out of the pastry case.

"Thank you," Rachel said as she zipped her backpack and carried it with her to a nearby table with a couple couches.

She set the backpack down on one of the couches and stepped over to the canisters of coffee to prepare her first cup. Carefully pouring the creamer into the mug, Rachel read the labels on all the canisters and decided on the Columbian dark blend. Strong and bold is the kind of coffee she needed that morning. Anything to give her an extra dose of pep while she wrote in her notebook for a while. As she pushed the level of the canister, the sound of Nikki placing the danish on the table where she left her bag.

"There you go, Hon," Nikki said sweetly. "Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thank you," Rachel said with a smile, stirring sugar into her coffee. "I should be all set," she added.

"My pleasure," Nikki said with a nod and made her way over to another table that needed cleaning.

Rachel took a sip of her coffee and sighed with contentment as she made her way back to the couch and set her mug on the table, scooting the danish closer to her. She reached into her bag and pulled out her Backstreet Boys notebook and folder; setting them on the table as she dug deeper into her bag for a pen. Muttering softly to herself, as she began to feel frustrated over her own disorganization. Her fingers grazed the bottom of the backpack and she felt the familiar smooth, round texture of her Backstreet Boys pen. Wrapping her fingers around the pen, she pulled it out and took another sip of her coffee before taking the lid off the pen and placing it on the opposite end. Propping her feet up on the couch, she settled into the cushions and carefully opened her notebook and began jotting down a few random thoughts going through her head, brainstorming on ideas for the next chapter of her story. Creative writing was one of her favorite pastimes. She never considered herself to be a very good writer, but she enjoyed writing stories for own pleasure and keeping them private. Often times, she wrote stories based on her real life and giving them a creative twist. It was her way of escaping the world around her. It helped soften the pain of reality when it got too intense.

As she sipped her coffee, she continued to write with a steady flow, feeling pleased at the direction the story was going. After writing a few more paragraphs, Rachel sat up straight and placed the notebook on the table, resting the pen on the open page. She grabbed her danish and took a bite, smiling to herself at how good the creamy pastry tasted. It was baked to the perfect consistency of lightly crispy and moist at the same time. As she chewed her bite, she looked out the nearby window and observed the slow moving traffic of the downtown area traveled through the pouring rain. Thunder rumbled loudly as a flash of lighting suddenly lit up the sky and disappeared into the dark mass of clouds. As the rain tapped against the window, Rachel quietly watched the scenery, sipping her coffee casually and enjoying the peacefulness of the coffee shop. She couldn't think of a better way to spend her Saturday morning. She felt a sense of relief to have found something to cherish in her new place of residency. It gave her hope that more good things would come her way.

The quietness of the coffee shop was starting to fade as more customers started filtering through the door, most of them taking their order to go and going about their day. A few stayed and sat at the tables; enjoying their coffee with a book or a working on a stack of homework. Light chatter of the employees conversing with customers echoed against the walls as Rachel stood up to get a refill on her coffee. As she stirred in her usual mixture of cream and sugar, she heard the sound of the door opening and the squeak of wet shoes moving across the hardwood floor. Throwing away her stir stick, she turned around and took a sip of her drink as her eyes focused on Amanda walking towards the counter, running her fingers through her rain drenched hair. She tapped the counter and waved at Nikki who was pouring coffee into a mug. Rachel went back to her seat but couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the two girls.

"Hey! Alex just called looking for you," Nikki stated as she put the whipped cream on top of the beverage.

Amanda rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I figured it wouldn't take him long to do that," she muttered as she shook off her jacket. "Can I get a mocha?"

"Sure," Nikki said as she rang it up in the register and took Amanda's cash. "You staying or going?" she asked casually.

"I'll stay here a bit," Amanda stated as she looked around. "I'm up at ass crack of dawn on a Saturday so I might as well enjoy myself."

Nikki chuckled and handed Amanda her change. "Well, take a seat and I'll bring it out to you."

"Thanks, Doll," Amanda said with a smile and turned around, stuffing her change back into her pocket. Her eyes immediately connected with Rachel's as she approached the table. "So, we meet again," she said casually.

"We do," Rachel stated as she put down her mug.

"Mind if I sit down?" Amanda asked while tucking her hair behind her ear. "Unless you'd rather be alone."

Rachel shook her head and gestured her hand at the lounge chair beside the couch. "No, go ahead. Have a seat," she stated as she sat up straight, gathering her things from the table and accidentally dropping her notebook on the floor; it landed with the cover facing up.

Amanda bent down to pick up the notebook and smiled as she handed it to Rachel. "Backstreet Boys, huh? I wouldn't have pegged you for a boy band fanatic."

Rachel laughed quietly as she graciously took the notebook from her and placed it back into her backpack. "Yeah...I think they're pretty great," she admitted with a smile. "I've been a big fan for a while now."

"That's cool," Amanda admitted as she draped her jacket over the arm of the chair.

"Are you a fan?" Rachel asked curiously.

Amanda paused for a moment and chuckled to herself, nodding slowly. "You could say that."

"What does that mean?" Rachel asked with an awkward giggle.

Amanda grinned with a shrug. "Well, they're music is good and they're good looking. I wouldn't call myself a fanatic who hangs pictures on her wall, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it," Rachel nodded as she took another sip of her coffee, feeling more awkward knowing that her own bedroom fit the exact description Amanda just painted for her.

Amanda tilted her head, observing Rachel for a moment. "I hope I didn't offend you by saying that."

"No, you're fine," Rachel replied as set her mug down.

"You sure? Because you look like a puppy who got caught with his nose in flower bed."

Rachel laughed as she looked up at the ceiling, feeling sheepish for being so transparent. "I'm not offended, really," she said as she drew her focus back on Amanda.

"But...," Amanda pried curiously, grinning as she crossed her legs.

"But...I'm one of those fans who hangs pictures on her wall...," she admitted with her cheeks burning.

Amanda's grin grew wider as she nodded to herself. "Let me guess....Nick fan?"

Rachel laughed and shook her head. "No...I mean, he's cute and all, but I prefer Brian."

"Interesting," Amanda said with a smile as Nikki came by the table with her mocha. "Nikki, this is Rachel. I met her between classes the other day."

"That's awesome," Nikki said as she wiped her hands on her apron. "So you attend UCF as well?"

"Yeah, this is my first semester. I just moved here from Missouri."

"You're gonna love it there. It's a good school," Nikki stated with a nod.

"Do you attend there as well?" Rachel asked curiously, feeling grateful for the new social interaction.

"No, not currently," Nikki admitted. "I decided to take a year off."

"Yeah, she kinda sucks like that," Amanda teased.

"Shut up," Nikki said with a laugh. "I'll probably come back next fall. I wanted to take some time off to figure out what I want to do."

"Until then, she's pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming the most famous barista in the world," Amanda said with a chuckle.

"You're such a bitch," Nikki said as she laughed again. "Okay, I have to get back to work but it was really nice meeting you, Rachel. I'm sure we'll see each other again sometime."

"For sure. Nice meeting you as well," Rachel said as she watched Nikki walk away and return to the cash register as a new customer came into the building. "You guys seem like good friends," she commented as she looked back over at Amanda.

"We're practically sisters," Amanda admitted. "I've known her my whole life. We share an apartment not far from here. She's the only person in my life that will call me out on my shit," she said with a smirk. "With the exception of my boyfriend," she added.

"Oh, yeah. The last time I saw you, you didn't seem to be getting along too well," Rachel said as she took another bite of her danish.

"Yeah...but we'll get through it. We always do."

"How long have you been with him?"

"Almost four years now."

"Oh, wow...high school sweethearts?"

"Pretty much," Amanda said as she drank her mocha. "We didn't attend the same school but we dated in high school. He's a pain in the ass but he's my pain in the ass," she joked.

"I think it's sweet. You're lucky to have that. I don't know anyone here except my best friend."

"You'll find someone," Amanda said confidently. "You seem sweet. You'll snag a nice guy, I'm sure."

"Thanks," Rachel said softly. "I haven't dated anyone since my sophomore year of high school."

"That's okay. The right guy will come along," she stated as she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone that had started ringing. "I'm sure that's Alex," she said as she rolled her eyes and opened the phone, bringing it to her ear. "Hello?"

Rachel polished the last of her danish and looked at her watch, sighing as she realized that she'd soon have to leave to go home and prepare for her first day at work. As Amanda continued her conversation on the phone, Rachel gathered the rest of her things and shoved them into her backpack.

"I'll be home in a little bit, Babe. I stopped by the coffee shop to say hi to Nikki," Amanda said into the phone, mouthing "I'm sorry," to Rachel as she drew her focus back to the phone, shifting her position in the chair. "It's fine. You should get some sleep before you go back to work later," she continued as she studied her nails, frowning as she grazed her thumb over her middle fingernail. "Yes, I'll be home soon. Just get some sleep. I love you," she said then hung up the phone. "Sorry about that. He can be needy sometimes," she said with a chuckle, shoving the phone back into her purse. "I should probably head back as soon as I finish this coffee."

"Yeah, I need to head out too," Rachel said as she zipped her backpack. "I need to get changed for work."

"You got the job!" Amanda said enthusiastically. "I'm glad to hear that. You'll love working there."

"You sure you're not lying about that? I mean you did just quit," Rachel stated matter of factly.

Amanda nodded with a laugh. "Yes, but not for bad reasons. Alex encouraged me to quit so I could focus on college. It's a fun place to work, I swear. Great boss, great customers, free food, and great staff. Be sure to make friends with Sarah. You'll love her."

"Awesome," Rachel said as she stood up and flung her backpack over her shoulder. "Well, I'll see you around, I'm sure."

"Of course," Amanda said as she dug into her purse and pulled out a pen, scribbling it onto a receipt she found. "Here's my number. Call me sometime and we'll hang out."

"Really?" Rachel said in surprise as she took the receipt from her.

"Yeah, why not? You're cool and you look like you could use a friend or two."

"Awesome, I'll definitely call you soon," Rachel said as she put the receipt in her pocket. "Catch you later, Amanda."

"Have a great day," Amanda said with a smile, waving at her as she stood up and walked over to the counter to chat with Nikki.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The apartment was quiet when Amanda returned from the coffee shop and she assumed that AJ was still asleep. She removed her flip flops at the door and set her purse down on the table beside the door. Sighing to herself, she wandered down the hallway to the bedroom. Carefully, she twisted the doorknob and slowly opened the door, peeking her head before entering the room. The blackout curtains were drawn, leaving the room completely dark. She kept the door open a crack and turned on the hallway light to give her some vision through the room without disturbing him. Amanda fully entered the room and quietly crept onto the bed where AJ lay fast asleep on his stomach. She smiled to herself as she gently placed her hand on his back and slowly leaned down, pressing her lips on his shoulder. AJ stirred slightly, turning his head to the other side and burying his head deeper into his pillow. Amanda chuckled to herself as she glanced at the clock, knowing that the alarm would likely go off at any time. Lying on her side, she propped herself up on her elbow, resting her hand on the side of her head as she watched him sleep for a few minutes. Admiring the definition in his arm, she rested her other hand on his bicep and scooted closer to him, laying her head beside his. She pressed her forehead and against his and exhaled with contentment as she laid in the dark room beside him. A twinge of sadness crept into the pit of her stomach as she thought about his upcoming work schedule with a world tour, studio time, press interviews, and TV appearances. Their relationship was becoming complicated and she didn't like it. Amanda was proud of AJ and his success but she hated sharing him with the public. Staying in Orlando without him around was going to be harder than it had been in the past. This time, the world tour was much longer and his free time would become almost nonexistent. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that kind of change.

She sighed to herself as she closed her eyes, taking in the faint scent of his cologne as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. The past month had been full of meaningless arguments, which Amanda could admit was mostly her fault. She knew she had a tendency to be overdramatic and often times her insecurities would get in the way of being the compassionate and supportive girlfriend she knew how to be. She reached up and wiped away the tears that formed against her lashes and clenched her jaw as she thought about their most recent fight over a last minute change in his schedule. They had plans to travel to Miami for the weekend, but his management team needed him in the studio instead. It always seemed unfair and she took it far more personal than she should. Each time they would fight, she would feel worse about herself, questioning if she even deserved to be with AJ. He had been good to her, never asking for anything in return except for her love. What more could she possibly want? She let out a soft sniffle and hiccupped as the tears continued to fall down her cheeks. She felt tired. She didn't have the energy to fight anymore. She wanted the madness to end. All of it needed to stop before she lost her mind.

Amanda laid still in the quiet room, listening to his steady breathing and cuddled closer, watching the alarm clock tick through the minutes. AJ lightly snored beside her and she couldn't help but chuckle lightly to herself. She loved his snoring. It wasn't loud of obnoxious. It was a soft snore that barely rattled through his slightly parted lips. She smiled as she kissed his forehead and ran her fingers through his freshly dyed hair. A few weeks ago he had dyed it bright red and now it was back to his usual jet black color, which is the color she preferred on him. Twirling her fingers through his short locks of hair, AJ stirred and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Amanda smiled to herself and sank into his embrace.

"You never let me sleep," he muttered with his eyes still closed; kissing her cheek.

"I was gone for two hours. I think you slept plenty," she replied with a smirk.

"Not when I'm trying to make up three days' worth," he said with a yawn and rolled over, to click the alarm off before it went off. Stretching his muscles, he sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I gotta shower," he mumbled, draping his arm over his eyes.

"That can wait. You technically still have a couple hours before you have to leave," Amanda said coyly, tracing her fingertips over his bare chest.

AJ lifted his arm and peeked over at her and smirked. "Didn't you get enough of me last night?"

"I can never get enough of you," Amanda admitted as she slid her hand further down his torso, resting it on his pelvis as she trailed kisses up his chest.

A barely audible groan escaped from AJ's lips as he removed his arm from his eyes and rolled onto his side, pressing his lips against hers. Amanda smiled against his lips as she wrapped her arms around him, raking her nails up his back. AJ held her tight and kissed her passionately for a few minutes before pulling back and looking at her. He cupped his hand on her cheek and smiled fondly.

"We can't do this today," he said softly, caressing her cheek.

"Why not?" she asked softly, observing the intensity in his eyes.

"Out of condoms," he said casually as he rolled over on his back and sat up, running a hand over his tired face.

"So? That didn't stop us last night," Amanda said with a giggle.

AJ chuckled and shook his head. "We were both drunk and stupid last night," he admitted. "That wasn't our smartest decision."

"True," Amanda agreed as she sat up and planted kisses on his shoulder, linking both arms around his arm and resting her head against it.

AJ kissed the top of her head and worked the kinks out of his neck by gently turning his head from side to side. The sound of his cell phone ringing was heard from its position on the nightstand beside Amanda. She let go of his arm and frowned as she picked up and looked at the caller ID.

"It's Kevin," she stated flatly, handing him the phone and plopping onto her side.

"Great," AJ replied with a sigh, still working out the kink in his neck as he opened the phone and put it to his ear. "Hey, Kev, what's up?"

Amanda turned her back to AJ as she pulled her knees up towards her torso, frowning as she listened to AJ's one sided conversation. She heard the word "rehearsal" and clenched her jaw as she grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her head, not wanting to hear him explain what was happening.

"Alright, give me like 30 minutes and I'll be there," he told Kevin. "Later, dude," he said and closed the phone with a sigh and looked at Amanda under the lump under the blankets.

"I already know what you're going to say. You have to go," Amanda said flatly, not emerging from the blankets.

"They need us in rehearsal to go over some new choreography," he stated as he laid his hand on her side.

"Whatever, do what you have to do," Amanda said as she felt her throat grow tight as she held back her tears.

AJ sighed softly and gently grabbed the edge of the blanket so remove them from her head. "Babe, talk to me," he said gently as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Amanda's chin trembled as she buried her head into the pillow and quietly sobbed. "Just go," she whimpered as she gripped the pillow.

"Babe, I'm sorry," he said as he ran his hand down her arm. "You know I have to do this. We'll spend the weekend together. I have nothing scheduled."

Amanda sniffled as she rolled over to look up at him. "That's what you said last weekend and you got called into the studio at the last minute."

"Babe, you know I can't help it. These things happen. That's the business," AJ replied with a sigh.

Amanda groaned in frustration and sat up. "Alex, this is stupid. You haven't even gone on tour for this album yet and you're already recording for the next one?! What the fuck is JIVE's problem anyway? Fucking greedy assholes," she stated with a low growl in her voice.

"Hey, don't go there. I wouldn't have my career if it weren't for them."

"They work you guys to the bone. It's not fair."

"Not fair to you or to me?" he questioned with a smirk.

"Shut up," she muttered as she smacked him lightly on the arm and wiped the tears off her face.

AJ smiled and cupped her chin with his hand, kissing her tenderly on the lips. "I love you, babe," he said straight faced, looking her in the eyes. "You know that, right?"

"Yes," Amanda said as she blinked and fresh tears hit her cheeks.

"Hey," AJ whispered as he caught a tear before it rolled down her cheek. "Why is this bothering you so much?"

"I don't know," Amanda shrugged, completely unsure of her emotions.

"This weekend, you and me, I promise," he said then kissed her. "I gotta go before I'm late."

"Okay," she mumbled as she watched him slide off the bed and get dressed. "Are you coming back over tonight?"

"Depends on how tired I am," he said as he put on his jeans and sighed as he picked up the shirt he wore the night before. "Fuck, I forgot an extra shirt."

"There's one in my dresser that you left behind last week," Amanda said as she stood up and walked over to the dresser and handed him a blue T-Shirt from the top drawer.

"Thanks, Baby," he said as he kissed her cheek before slipping the shirt over his head.

"So you think you might be too tired to come by tonight?" she asked timidly, looking at him with pleading eyes.

AJ look at her lovingly and smoothed out her hair. "I'll come by tonight anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive...but I won't lie, I'll be pretty tired tonight," he said, linking his fingers with hers.

Amanda squeezed his hand and brought it to her lips, kissing it sweetly. "That's okay. Just call me and let me know what time."

"Will do," he said then kissed her. "See you tonight. I love you."

"Love you too," Amanda replied as she watched him leave the room.

As she heard AJ walk out the front door, Amanda sank back down on the bed and ran her fingers through her hair, feeling both ashamed and frustrated with her own emotions. She knew AJ loved her. This was never a question. All she wanted was time alone with him before he left for the tour and she wasn't getting any time at all. Everything was changing too fast and she didn't like it. She was losing confidence that she could handle the pressure of his career. Their relationship had lost all elements of simplicity and it was emotionally draining.

Amanda laid back down on her pillow and stared at the wall. Her eyes felt heavy from the tension headache that formed after she'd started crying. She had no energy to think about it anymore and decided that sleeping the rest of the day would be the best solution. As she pulled the blankets over her body, she grabbed AJ's pillow and inhaled the scent he'd left behind. Tears spilled down her cheeks again as she gripped the pillow in her arms and buried her face into it. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore and eventually drifted off with her cheek resting against the tear stained pillowcase.


	6. Chapter 6

The smell of fresh Thai food filled the restaurant and Rachel stared blankly at the training video in the training room. She let out a long yawn at the tedious repetition of the company's waitressing etiquette. Most of what she was viewing seemed like common sense. After all her years of working in the food industry, she had pretty much encountered every possible scenario. She didn't see the purpose of having to watch this video. Rachel frowned as she leaned back in her chair, tapping her foot on the floor as she partially paid attention to the video while the other half of her brain became fixated with the random bump of melted plastic on the table. She nonchalantly slid her finger over the bump, tilting her head back to the TV as the training spokeswoman began to explain the importance of smiling while serving.

"No shit, Sherlock," she mumbled as she drew her attention back on the bump on the table, scratching at it a little harder.

Chuckling at the bad acting on the video, Rachel looked over her shoulder as the sound of the door opening grabbed her attention away from the TV screen. She shyly smiled as a tall, slender, brunette woman walked into the room. The woman returned the smile and placed her hands on her hips, chuckling at the video.

"Aren't these fun?" she joked.

"A blast," Rachel replied with a sarcastic snort. "How old are these things anyway? They're so corny."

"Judging by the random black lines flashing across the screen, I'm gonna say they're from the 70's."

"They need to create new ones," Rachel said with a laugh.

The woman nodded in agreement, smiling warmly at Rachel. "I'm Sarah," she said as she extended her hand out to her.

"Rachel," she replied as shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you," Sarah said sweetly. "As much fun are these things are, I'm sure you've seen enough of this crap," she said as she turned it off. "Ready for some real training?"

"Definitely," Rachel said as she stood up, smoothing the wrinkles out of her black slacks.

"Follow me. I'll show you around," Sarah said as she led her out of the room and into the kitchen. "This is the kitchen area. You'll very rarely be back here but once in a while you'll need to grab something for the dining area or a customer with a special request. You'll learn your way around here as time goes on," she stated as she waved her arms in the area. "Let's move to the dining area."

Rachel followed behind Sarah and tugged on her white shirt, assuring that it was on straight. Sarah stopped to pick up a big, gray, plastic container. She turned around and placed it on top of a table. Rachel glanced inside the container and saw that it had four compartments. One for forks, knives, and spoons. The last compartment was filled with napkins.

"Every day when you clock on, you'll come over here and grab this container. You'll start your shift by setting up silverware," she said as she laid out some silverware and napkins. "It's really simple. You just put the knife, fork, and spoon together and wrap the napkin tightly around them. You'll put one of these paper napkin rings around it and set it aside," she said as she demonstrated on the bundle in her hand, securing the paper napkin ring in place.

"Sounds easy enough," Rachel nodded confiendely.

"It's pretty simple," Sarah said with a smile. "Sometimes it's tedious work, but it sure makes the time go by faster when you're here before 9:00, which is when we open. We do this three times a day. Before opening, after lunch, and again before we close. The best time to do this at night is around 7:00, after the dinner rush," Sarah said as she set the silverware down. "We can finish this later. I have a whole container already prepared for the dinner rush," she continued as she turned around in the direction of the tables. "Okay, so let me show you your training zone before we continue with the silverware.

"Alright," Rachel said as she followed Sarah over to a table.

"For this week, you'll be on just one table. You'll pick up two more tables every other week and once you're fully trained, you'll be assigned an entire zone."

"Fair enough," Rachel replied with a nod.

"I'll be in your zone tonight, so you shouldn't have too much stress while in training. Given your experience, I would assume that you already know that we ask for their drinks first and then take their orders. That's pretty much standard procedure at most food places"

"Of course," Rachel said with a smile.

"Awesome," Sarah said with a laugh. "Now, they have two options after that. They can take the buffet or they can order from the specialty menu. If they order from the specialty menu, you'll take it over to the chef and he'll ring the bell when it's finished. Tonight, you'll only have to mark table twelve. We'll worry about table numbers as we go along in training. Any questions so far?"

"No, it's pretty set in stone," Rachel said as she put her hands in her in her pocket.

"Great, now we can continue on the silverware," Sarah said as she headed over to their original table.

"So, does it get very busy here?" Rachel asked as she gathered a pile of silverware.

"No, not really," Sarah admitted. "Our busiest days are on the weekends, but the weekdays are fairly slow, aside from an hour lunch or dinner rush. After that, we stick to one or two servers per shift. It has its advantages though."

"Yeah?" Rachel said as she began wrapping the silverware.

"Yeah, you get to keep all the tips when you work the non peak hours. You'll usually be working a zone alone and the other person is working the opposite zone. It's great money and our regulars leave awesome tips," she said with a smile.

"Perfect," Rachel replied as she continued wrapping silverware into napkins.

"So, what's your story?" Sarah asked as she sat in a chair. "You can have a seat while we do this, by the way."

Rachel pulled out a chair and sat down as she set one silverware bundle on the table and started a new one. Rachel hated questions like this. It always made her feel like she was being put on the spot. She apprehensively bit her lip and carefully chose her next words.

"Well, I'm originally from Missouri and decided to come here for college."

"UCF?"

"Yeah," Rachel said as she nervously licked her lips.

"What's your major? Or do you not know yet?" Sarah asked as she put three bundles off to the side and gathered a pile of napkins and silverware, setting them closer to her side of the table.

"Well, I'm thinking about a English degree. I'm not sure which direction I want to take with it just yet. I'll figure that out later."

"Ah, first two years is all general stuff anyway," Sarah said with a laugh. "I wish I was still in college."

"Oh, did you graduate?" Rachel asked curiously, relieved that the focus was off her for a moment.

Sarah shook her head. "No, I always wanted to. But life just sort of got in the way, you know?"

"Yeah," Rachel grimaced with empathy. She was all too familiar with unfinished goals due to a chaotic life.

"So, why Florida?" Sarah asked as she stood up and grabbed an empty utensil container and began placing the wrapped bundles into the bin.

"It was what my best friend and I decided together," Rachel said with a shrug, not wanting to share too much of her past.

"Sounds fun," Sarah admitted. "You're young. Live it up."

"I plan on it," Rachel said with a giggle, looking up from her silverware bundle.. "What do you mean I'm young? You don't seem too much older than me."

Sarah laughed and shook her head. "Don't let these youthful looks fool you. I'm almost twenty five, actually."

"I would've never guessed," Rachel admitted. "I would've pegged you for maybe twenty one but definitely not twenty five."

"Thanks," Sarah said as she sat back in her seat, looking around at the empty restaurant. "I think it's going to be one of those long and dragging nights."

"Lame," Rachel said as she wrapped the last of the silverware and placed them in the other bin.. "Now what?"

"Well, we can bristle the carpet. I'll go grab the bristles and that'll pass some time," Sarah said as she stood up and pushed her chair back under the table.

Rachel nodded as she crossed her legs and sat back in her chair. She looked down at her nails and took notice at the rough edges. She decided that her first good tip was going to a manicure. It had been a while since she treated herself to day of pampering. Rachel let out a sigh and looked over at the door as a group of customers came in. She looked over toward the kitchen for Sarah to emerge through the swinging door but she had not returned. Her eyes diverted over to the group of customers being seated at the table in her zone. Rachel quickly stood up and grabbed a pen from her apron. Almost like second nature, she stepped over to the table like she'd been working there for years. Too nervous to look at them, she fumbled for her notepad in her apron.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. How's it going?" Rachel said as she laid the silverware in front of them. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Yeah, I'll have a Pepsi, said the first guy.

"Alright," Rachel replied as she jotted it down. "And you?" she said as she looked up.

Rachel caught sight of the faces of the three men front of her and nearly dropped her pen. She swallowed as her heart jumped in her throat. There was no mistaking that her first three customers were Kevin Richardson, A.J McLean, and Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys. She quickly realized she was almost staring so she went back to her notepad, swallowing a giant lump of excitement in her throat.

"I'll have an Iced Tea," Howie said. "With lemon, please."

"Got it," Rachel said as she nervously jotted it down. She gripped her shaking hand over the pen and forced herself to look up again. "And for you?" she asked AJ.

"Just water for me," AJ said with a smile.

"Okay, um—" Rachel said as her mind went blank.

"Well, if it isn't the three amigos," Sarah called from behind her.

Rachel turned around and saw Sarah put down the two bristles and walked over in their direction. She smiled widely at the boys and stood beside Rachel.

"Guys, this is Rachel, our new waitress."

"Ooh fresh meat," Howie said with a wink.

Rachel nervously forced a smile and looked back down at her notepad. "Um...did you want the buffet or order something the special menu?"

"I think we're all just going to be pigs and have the buffet," AJ said with a wide grin.

Sarah laughed and shook her head. "I should've known," she said as she looked at Rachel. You'll get used to these guys. They like to give us a hard time," she said as she grabbed onto Kevin's shoulders. "Especially this one."

"She's lying, Kevin said with a gentle smile.

"I'll be right back with your drinks," Rachel said as she walked over to the drink station.

Rachel breathed gently against the excitement in her stomach. She couldn't believe her first customers were members of the Backstreet Boys. Removing three cups from the stacks beside the soda machine, she whispered to herself. "Am I dreaming?"

Rachel shook her head at herself. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking and her heart was beating hard against her chest. She had never been so nervous in her life. As she was filling up their glasses, Sarah came up behind her. Rachel was unaware that she was standing there as she filled up Howie's glass with tea.

"Oh my god," she mumbled to herself.

"You okay?" Sarah asked.

Rachel jumped at the sound of her voice, spilling the tea on her arm. "Dammit," she said as she set the glass down and cleaned up her mess. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

Sarah laughed while holding her stomach, obviously trying not to be too loud. "You are totally freaking out."

"No, I'm not," Rachel denied as she stared at the ice filled glasses, completely clueless of where she left off.

"Yes, you are," Sarah said while giggling.

Rachel slammed down the towel and looked at her. "Do they come here all the time?" she blurted, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she glanced over at them.

"You're obviously a fan," Sarah said with an even bigger grin.

"What? No!" Rachel denied while crossing her arms. "I just—um—I recognize them from TV, that's all."

"Hmmm," Sarah said with her eyebrow raised.

"You're not buying any of this, are you?" Rachel frowned.

"No, not really," Sarah said while laughing.

"I don't think I can do this," Rachel said with a nervous squeak. "I'm gonna make a complete ass out of myself."

"Yes, you can. They don't bite."

"Sarah...I have their pictures on my wall. This is awkward."

Sarah continued to laugh as she handed Rachel one of the glasses. "Fill their drinks and calm down. I'll be with you the whole time anyway. It'll be just like they're complete strangers. You've already managed to get their drinks and orders, so—"

"Their orders!" Rachel said, almost shouting. "Dammit, I'm already messing up!" she said as she pulled out their order sheet and stared at it. "What was I supposed to do with this again?"

Sarah hid behind the soda machine and laughed even harder as Rachel pursed her lips and sighed at herself.

"This isn't funny," she huffed.

"I'm sorry," Sarah said as she calmed down her laughter. "You should see yourself."

"I'm not amused," Rachel said as she crossed her arms, close to tears.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Sarah said in a straight tone. "You're doing just fine. All you have to do is give them the ticket when you hand them the drinks. They help themselves to the buffet when they're ready. It's perfectly fine. Just breathe and get back over there."

"God, this is embarrassing," Rachel muttered. "I'm acting like I've never seen a celebrity before. I'm from Springfield, Missouri, the home of Brad Pitt."

Sarah patted Rachel on the back. "You're doing just fine. Trust me."

"I got this," Rachel said as she placed the drinks on a tray. "I'm just going to do this and—"

Rachel screamed as she unexpectedly crashed directly into AJ The tray tilted forward, spilling all the beverages all over him. Rachel froze with her hand over her mouth as she watched the tray hit the floor with a loud clank. Her breathing hitched in her throat as she stared down at the mess of soda, tea, and water on the gray linoleum floor.

"Oh...my...god," Rachel said as tears spelled onto her cheeks.

"Hey, babe, it's all good," AJ said as he flung the liquids off his arms. "Most of it got on the floor anyway."

Rachel covered her face in embarrassment, too afraid to look at him. She turned around and looked at Sarah, who was snickering as she handed AJ a towel. Rachel began to shake as she stepped away from both of them, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

"Sorry, AJ. You know how it goes with newbies."

"It's cool," he said as he dried himself. "I can change. No harm done," offering Rachel an empathetic smile. "Seriously, it's fine."

"What were you doing standing there anyway?" Sarah asked.

"There's no sweetener at the table for Howie," he replied, drying the rest of his clothes off with the towel.

"Okay, I'll bring that and new drinks for you guys," she said.

"No problem," AJ said as he stepped away and headed over to the buffet for his first plate of food.

Sarah turned around and looked at Rachel who was mentally counting the anxiety away.. She swallowed hard and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I'm so sorry," Rachel whispered between tears.

"Rachel, calm down. It's okay. It's your first day and they're not upset," Sarah said gently.

"I am so embarrassed."

"Don't be, seriously," Sarah said with a smile. "Look, why do you go to the bathroom and get yourself together. I'll handle their table. When you come back, we'll work on the bristling."

"Okay," Rachel said as sniffled and headed in the direction of the bathroom.

She swiftly passed by their table and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Kristin coming toward the door. Kristin waved as she saw her through the window. Rachel stared at her best friend as she came in through the door with a smile.

"Hi!" Kristin said with enthusiasm.

"Hello," Rachel said flatly.

"So, I got the tickets!" she said excitedly.

"Tickets?" Rachel said as she attempted to move Kristin in the direction of the bathroom.

"Yeah, the Backstreet Boys tickets," she said loudly.

"Shh!" Rachel said as she pushed Kristin down the hall.

"What are you doing?"

"Bathroom, now!" Rachel ordered as she flung the bathroom door open and stepped inside.

Kristin went into the bathroom and looked at Rachel in confusion with her arms crossed. "What is your problem?" she asked as she stepped over to the mirror and began fixing her hair.

Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Kristin, did you really come all the way over here to tell me you got Backstreet Boys tickets?"

"I thought you'd be excited. They were sold out of V.I.P. passes though," she shrugged.

"Not that it matters much," Rachel muttered under her breath.

"What?"

Rachel sighed and crossed her arms, instinctively knowing she was going to regret confessing the situation. "Kevin, Howie, and AJ are in the lobby right now."

"You're shitting me! Is Nick with them?" Kristin asked with excitement in her eyes.

"Kristin! Chill!" Rachel said sternly, letting out a huff of annoyance. "And, no, he's not."

"Damn," Kristin said with a pout.

Rachel rolled her eyes again. "Look, I'm asking you nicely to behave yourself around them. Do not disturb them while they're eating. I can't afford to lose this job."

"You don't have to worry about me. I don't care to meet any of them anyway. Just Nick," she said as she waved her hand in the air. "But can I take a peek?"

"Just don't get me fired," Rachel begged.

"I won't," Kristin said as she pushed past her and went back into the lobby.

Rachel balled up her fists and followed behind her, hoping Kristin would stay true to her word. She caught sight of Sarah on the other side of the lobby, waiting with the bristles. Rachel grimaced as she quickly made her way over to where Sarah was standing.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked as she handed her one of the bristles.

"Yeah, just as long as she keeps her mouth shut," Rachel muttered.

"Who?"

"My best friend, Kristin. The brunette sitting diagonally from them," she said as she began to bristle the floor. "There's no telling what she'll do."

"Is she armed and dangerous?" Sarah joked.

"God I hope not," Rachel frowned, ignoring the joke as she watched Kristin from afar.

Sarah chuckled and patted Rachel on the shoulder. "You take that side and I'll take this side."

"Got it," Rachel said as she headed over to her side of the lobby.

Rachel took a deep breath and concentrated on cleaning the floor as perfectly as possible. She moved chairs and got underneath the tables and tried to take her mind off the guys. It was bad enough that she was internally freaking out and now she had to keep Kristin in check too. As Rachel continued to clean the floor, she finally got herself to stop thinking about the boys. However, her luck faded when Kristin wandered over to her with a smile on her face. Rachel frowned and glanced at Kristin.

"Are you going to order anything, or what?"

Kristin shook her head. "Nah, I'm bored now. It's pointless to stick around without Nick here," she said while observing her nails. "Ugh, I need a touch up."

Rachel shook her head at Kristin incredulously. "So, what are doing now?" she asked as she kept working the bristle across the carpet.

"Going home, I guess," she said with a shrug. "What time do you get off work?"

"In a couple of hours."

"Alright, I'll see you at home," Kristin said with a wave. "Later gator."

"Bye," Rachel said with a sigh and went back to work.

After fifteen minutes of working on the floor in her area of the lobby, she made her way back to her original spot and noticed the guys laughing with Sarah who was sitting in a chair beside Kevin. Rachel pretended to be cleaning a tough spot on the floor while watching them at the corner of her eye. It seemed pretty obvious that Sarah was very comfortable with them. She wondered how long they had been coming to the restaurant to eat. Her heart skipped a beat, knowing that she'd likely see them again. The very idea of that made Rachel want to squeal with excitement.

Maintaining her composure, Rachel made her way over to their table, setting the bristle aside. "I got all the crumbs, I think," Rachel said with a smile.

"Awesome," Sarah said with a grin, still chuckling from Kevin's previous joke.

"We should get back to the studio," Kevin said as he stood up. "Everything was wonderful, as usual."

"Thanks for coming in, guys. Will I see you later on this week?" she asked as she stood up and slid her chair under the table.

"I might come back with Brian," Kevin replied. "We've been trying to get him to come here."

Rachel jumped when she accidentally dropped the bristle at Kevin's words. She slowly looked over at them and smiled sheepishly, hoping she didn't look too obvious.

"Sorry, butterfingers," she said as her face warmed with embarrassment.

Kevin chuckled and walked over to her smiling warmly. Rachel swallowed hard as he looked at her with his intense green eyes shining brightly.

"It's just not your day, is it?" He said with a chuckle.

"I guess not," she said softly.

"It'll get better," he said as he reached into his pocket and handed her a twenty. "Keep up the good work," he said with a smile and walked away from her. "See you soon, Sarah," he said as he joined the guys in the direction of the door.

"Bye, boys," Sarah said with an enthusiastic wave. She sighed happily and looked over at Rachel. "See, I told you they didn't bite."

Rachel stared at the twenty in her hand and slowly slipped it into her pocket, shaking her head. "I'm such a loser, I swear."

"No, I think the correct word would be teeny bopper," she said while laughing.

"Lovely," Rachel said with a sigh, not amused by the joke.

"If it makes you feel any better, they thought you were sweet. Now, cheer up. You got your first tip."

"Yeah," Rachel said with a smile. "That's definitely a plus."

"Good," Sarah said with a nod. "I'll clear the table. Start bristling this area."

"Okay," Rachel said as she moved to the cluttered table, pausing for a moment before she began to use the bristle. "Hey, Sarah?"

"Yeah?" Sarah said as she put dirty dishes into the plastic bin, not taking her eyes off the table in front of her.

"You think I might be working next they come in?"

Sarah giggled and tossed a wet towel at her. "Wipe the table down for me, dork."

Rachel laughed as she began wiping down the chairs and the table. "So...what do you think?"

Sarah snorted as she began putting napkins into the dispenser. "They come in here twice a week, sometimes more. I'd say your chances are pretty good," she said with a smirk.

"Cool," Rachel replied with a grin and put the towel back into the sanitizer bucket and began bristling under the table. "So Kevin seems a little smitten by you," Rachel comment.

Sarah laughed and shrugged as she put the napkin dispenser back on the table. "Yeah...he's been flirting a lot lately."

"Girl, if you don't go on a date with him, you're insane," Rachel said with a giggle.

Sarah frowned to herself and shrugged. "I'm already in a relationship."

"That's a shame. Kevin's pretty hot," Rachel said with a giggle.

Sarah smiled with a nod. "Yeah...he's....he's great."

"Lucky duck," Rachel said as she put all the chairs under the table.

Sarah snickered and shrugged as she glanced at her watch. "We should put all this way and get ready for the rush. People should start piling in shortly.

"Okay," Rachel said as she took the bristle and placed it behind the register, smiling to herself.

She let out a sigh of relief and for the first time in several weeks, she felt as if everything was falling into place. Florida didn't seem like the dark and scary place that she had thought it to be. As she observed a new group of customers coming into the restaurant, she felt a sense of peace. She shoved her hand into a pocket of her slacks and felt the crisp twenty dollar bill against her fingertips. It was in that moment that she realized that everything was going to be okay. There wasn't a reason to worry about money or making friends. Everything was turning around for the better. Rachel smiled to herself and inhaled happily. Life was perfect and she couldn't wait to see what the future entailed.


	7. Chapter 7

“Shit…” Sarah mumbled to herself as she rushed around the house for her keys. She frowned deeply as she tossed a pile of fresh laundry across the bed, hastily searching for the purple puff ball keychain; hoping she had accidentally left it on the bed when she brought her laundry into the bedroom.

Sarah huffed to herself as she pushed the pile of clothes off to the side and lifted her blankets. She brushed back the strands of hair that lightly tickled her cheeks and sighed of relief as the keys were revealed underneath her soft throw blanket. Curling her fingers around the keyring, she glanced at the clock beside her bed and scowled. It was almost 5pm...she was over an hour late for work.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as she ran her fingers through her tangled black hair. Scooping her hair up into her hands, she scurried across the room to grab a blue scrunchie and curled it into a loose bun on top of her head. Grabbing her purse and sliding on her sneakers, she quickly went down the hallway, passing by her boyfriend, Keith, who was passed out on the couch with a beer can still in his hand. Sarah sighed to herself as she turned the doorknob and carefully crept out the door, careful not to wake him. She didn’t feel like dealing with his drunken rage.

Her day had already taken a rough turn when she woke up late for work. Her first mistake was taking a nap in the middle of the day, but it was the only way she could get away from Keith for a few hours. It was his day off and he was picking fights with her over the smallest things. Today was the day she had planned to be productive before going to her short evening shift, but as usual, Keith ruined her plans.

As she quietly shut the door behind her, she rushed down the driveway to her car and unlocked the door. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she tossed her purse into the passenger seat and slammed the door as she pressed her foot on the brake pedal. Sarah slid on her seatbelt and shoved her key into the ignition, turning it quickly and frowning as it didn’t turn over.

“Ugh! Come on!” she exclaimed as she gave the ignition another try. The car whirred slowly as she continued to mess with the ignition, pressing harder on the brake pedal. “Dammit, Keith...you said you were going to fix this!” Sarah grunted to herself and tried one more time and the car started effortlessly. “Thank God,” she muttered as she put the car in reverse and backed out the driveway before shifting into drive and speeding in the direction of her work.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she let out a loud sigh as she saw the parking lot was full. It was nearing the end of the dinner rush, but there were still lots of customers in the lobby. Frowning to herself, she quickly got out of the car and rushed inside. She hastily walked into the break room and threw her purse into her locker. Sarah muttered to herself as slammed the locker shut, tying on her apron as she made her way behind the service bar. She caught sight of a judgmental glance from Kyle, the shift manager. Sarah scowled as she tightened the straps of her apron around her waist.

“You’re almost two hours late. It’s about time you showed up,” Kyle stated sarcastically.

“I’m sorry, okay!” Sarah replied with a loud sigh.

“If you expect me to give that recommendation of a promotion, your chances aren’t looking good at the moment.

Sarah held up her hand in dismissal and shook her head. “Spare me the lecture, Kyle. It was a one time thing and it won’t happen again,” she stated as she pulled on the bottom of her shirt to make it line up with the hemline of her apron.

Kyle shook his head in disbelief and muttered under his breath as he grabbed a bucket full of dirty dishes. Sarah ignored his grumbling as he tucked the bucket under his arm and handed her an order pad. Snatching it from his hand, she shoved it into the pocket of her apron and walked away from him before he could say another word. Running a hand over her face, she stepped over to the drink station and began preparing pitchers of sweet and unsweet tea. As she filled up the first pitcher, she looked up to see Rachel approaching her with a cart full of empty dish bins. She set the cart against the wall and smiled at Sarah.

“There you are! Everything okay?” she asked as she leaned against the counter, facing Sarah’s direction.

“Day from hell,” Sarah muttered as she set the pitcher of sweet tea on the counter and began filling the next pitcher with ice.

“Wanna talk about it?” Rachel asked as she grabbed the pitcher from her and began filling it with sweet tea.

“Not particularly,” she muttered as she picked up two more pitchers and filled them with ice. “Have we been busy?”

“Not since dinner started. The busiest part of the rush ended about 30 minutes before you got here.”

“At least it’s my short day,” Sarah stated as she forced a smile to mask her weariness.

“Take it as a blessing,” Rachel said with a sweet smile and glanced over at her section of the lobby. “I’m gonna go clean some tables.”

“Go for it,” Sarah said as she continued filing pitchers.

For the next two hours, Sarah felt as if she was moving in slow motion. The faces of the customers became a blur as she forced a fake smile through their orders and rushed around to keep the lobby clean. She wasn’t feeling particularly sociable so she kept herself busy with cleaning and refilling drinks. Every now and again, she would glance at her watch and frown as time was moving painfully slow. By the time 8:00 rolled around, she was relieved to see that the evening was drawing near the end. Sarah cleaned all her tables and carried a load of dishes to the dish bin behind the drink station. Letting out a sigh, she leaned against the counter and dug into her apron to organize the crumbled up tip money that she had collected from the last five tables. As she straightened out the bills, she glanced up at Rachel who was entering the drink station with her own load of dishes and dumped them into the bin.

“Hey, you’re off tomorrow, right?” Rachel asked as she wiped her hands on her apron and stepped over to Sarah.

“Supposed to be,” Sarah said with a shrug as she shoved her tips back into her apron. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m off tomorrow as well and I thought maybe you’d like to go to the beach with Kristin and I.”

“Could be fun,” Sarah said with a slow nod.

“I know it’s a little bit of a drive, but I thought it would be a fun day trip with the girls,” Rachel said as she picked up a set of silverware bundles and glanced at the door as a group of guys walked into the restaurant. Rachel raised her brow shoved the bundles into Sarah’s hands. “You have to take this one,” she said quickly.

Sarah grabbed the bundles and looked at the door to see Kevin, AJ, and Brian waiting to be seated. She chuckled and looked at Rachel, who was red in the face.

“You’re still not over that? Girl, you need to chill out,” she said while laughing. “I told you they come here often. They’re regular customers.”

“I know, but this time....they brought Brian. How am I supposed to do my job when his blue eyes will be the death of me?”

Sarah smirked as she handed Rachel the bundles. “They’re in your zone.”

Rachel shook her head and took in a deep breath. She glanced over at them as they were being seated at a table. “I can’t do this,” she said as she gulped.

“Yes, you can. You waited on them just fine last week.”

Rachel’s eyes widened as she shook her head hastily. “Sarah, I spilled the drinks all over AJ. That’s not ‘just fine’,” she said with her hands in the air, crooking her fingers into quotation marks.

Sarah snorted with a laugh. “Okay, so you weren’t graceful but did you die?”

“No, but I might today,” she said as she observed the boys settling into their seats. She let out a low squeal and placed her hand over her heart. “God, he’s so cute.”

Sarah rolled her eyes as she snatched the bundles from her. “Go clean the tables in my zone. I’ll take your zone, you big baby,” she teased.

Rachel grinned as she gave Sarah a hug. “Thank you,” she said as she grabbed a wet cloth and a bottle of cleaning spray from off the nearby cart.

Sarah snickered to herself as she carried the silverware bundles to the table where the boys were sitting.Forcing a smile on her face, she pulled out her order pad and clicked her pen. “The usual, boys?” she asked as she looked at them.

“Is the buffet still open?” Kevin asked.

“For about another 45 minutes,” Sarah said with a nod. “There’s still plenty of food left.”

“Then we’ll take the buffet,” Kevin said with a smile.

“Perfect,” Sarah said as she scribbled on her pad. “Drinks?” she asked, looking each of them in the eyes.

“Water for me,” Kevin said.

“Sweet tea,” said AJ.

“Water for me, also,” Brian said as he adjusted his Kentucky ballcap.

Sarah nodded as she jotted it down. A frown formed across her face as the ink from her pen faded. She scowled as she hastily tried to scribble on the order pad but the pen remained dry. Sighing to herself, she shoved the order pad back into the pocket of her apron.

“Help yourself to the buffet and I’ll be back with your drinks,” she said as she turned on the heels of her feet and headed back toward the drink station.

Grabbing the cups for their beverages, she grimaced as she poured scoops of ice into them. Filling the water glasses first, she set them aside and began to pour a sweet tea for AJ. She lifted her head as the sound of rustling was heard from behind her. Sarah glanced over her shoulder to see Rachel grinning as she peeked over at the boys who just sat back down at their table. Sarah snorted and shook her head.

“You’re pathetic,” she said with a chuckle.

“What?” Rachel said innocently. “I cannot believe they brought him.”

“Don’t you remember what they said last week? They said they were going to bring him,” Sarah said with a laugh.

“I know, but I was kinda hoping they were joking,” Rachel admitted.

Sarah let out another snicker and handed Rachel one of the water cups. Rachel tilted her head and stared at the cup in confusion then drew her attention back to Sarah.

“Why am I holding a water cup?”

“Because you’re going to give Brian his water while I give AJ and Kevin their drinks,” Sarah explained with a grin.

Rachel shook her head with her eyes open wide. “No, way. Uh uh!”

“Oh, ho ho ho, yes you are!,” Sarah urged.

Rachel shook her head again and clenched her jaw. “Nope! I’m not doing it,” she said as she set the water cup back on the counter.

“Don’t be such a wimp,” Sarah said as she put the cup back in Rachel’s hand. “You’re doing it.”

Rachel sucked in a breath and glared at her. “You can’t make me.”

“Do it or I bring Brian to you,” Sarah challenged. “The choice is yours,” she said as she tilted her head and blinked playfully while smiling.

Rachel sighed and gripped the cup in her hand. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t. You love me,” Sarah joked as she picked up the other two cups. “Come on, let’s go.”

Rachel grunted to herself as she followed Sarah back to the table. Sarah placed the drinks in front of AJ and Kevin, smiling as she wiped her hands on her apron. “There you go, boys,” she said as she glanced over at Rachel who shyly set the water cup in front of Brian.

“Thanks,” Brian said with a sweet smile.

“You’re welcome,” Rachel mumbled as she quickly diverted her eyes back to Sarah.

“Well, if it isn’t the newbie,” AJ quipped.

“Yeah, she survived the training process,” Sarah said with a smirk.

“I’m sure she caught on quickly,” Kevin said with a smile. “What was your name again?”

Rachel jumped at the sound of her name and shyly giggled. “Rachel,” she said softly, pulling her gaze away from Brian long enough to offer Kevin a polite smile.

“She’s doing a great job,” Sarah assured.

Rachel chuckled awkwardly as she gave Sarah a nod of gratitude. “I, uh, should get back to cleaning tables. Enjoy your meal, guys,” she said as she quickly turned around and made her way over to the other side of the dining room.

“Not much of a talker, is she?” Kevin joked as he stirred up his lo mein noodles.

“She’s a little on the shy side,” Sarah admitted. “But I’m sure she’ll come out of her shell eventually.”

“Kinda cute though,” AJ piped in as he bit into his egg roll and collected his bite into his cheek, glancing over at Brian who was chewing on his own food while obviously observing Rachel from across the dining room.

“Did you forget that you already have a girlfriend, Alex?” Kevin said as he grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it to the table. He tapped on the cushion, inviting Sarah to sit down.

“There’s no rule that says I can’t look,” AJ replied as he jabbed Brian on his bicep with his elbow. “What do you think, Rok? Is the new girl cute?”

Brian jumped at the light impact of AJ’s elbow on his arm. “Yeah, she’s cute,” Brian cooly admitted as he continued eating his food.

“You should get her number,” AJ said with a smirk.

Brian rolled his eyes as he bit into a piece of sesame chicken. “Dude, I don’t even know her.”

“So? Strike up a conversation, get her number, call her up, and take her out. Take her to Howie’s club. Do a little dancin’, a little grindin’, and maybe a little smoochin’,” AJ said while making over exaggerated motions with his arms.

“That ladies man junk may work for you, Bone, but some guys like it the old fashioned way,” Brian said with a sigh of annoyance.

“You mean the prude way!” AJ said with a laugh.

Brian frowned as he took a sip of his water. “I’m serious,” he said defensively. “I’m a gentleman. I believe in respecting a woman.”

AJ held up his hands in submission and shook his head. “Chill, dude. I was kidding.”

Kevin chuckled, holding his own hand up between them. “You both have valid points,” he said with a smile.

Sarah snickered as she took a seat on the chair and crossed her legs. She sighed of relief. It was the first time she’d sat down in hours. She wearily looked around at the almost empty lobby and grimaced as she noticed a few tables that still needed to be cleaned. She glanced at her watch and took notice that it was almost closing time.

“So how’s your day been?” Kevin asked as she he continued eating.

Sarah shrugged, not wanting to unload her issues onto Kevin. “It’s been alright, I guess.”

“Just alright?” Kevin asked curiously with a raised brow.

Sarah looked at him and shook her head. “Yeah...just alright.”

“That’s reassuring,” Kevin joked.

Sarah lightly chuckled as she ran a hand over her face, sighing as she reached up and fixed her messy bun. “It’s just been a really long day. I'm ready to go home, take a shower, and curl into bed with a movie.”

“Sounds like the perfect end of the day,” Kevin said with a warm smile.

“Y'all got here late,” Sarah stated as she stood up to begin sweeping the carpet.

“We were at the studio all day,” AJ piped in as he finished his plate.

“We finished recording a song for the new album,” Brian added.

“Didn’t you just release an album a few months ago?” Sarah asked as she began sweeping around their table.

“Yes, but we gotta put out another album next year. It’s in our contract,” said Kevin.

“So you’re recording a new album and going on tour? Sounds exhausting,” Sarah said as she straightened chairs at the nearby tables.

“Welcome to the music industry,” AJ said as he stood up. He paused and looked over at Rachel who passed by him with an armful of dirty dishes.

Brian glanced at him from his spot at the table. “Where are you going?”

“To get seconds before they close the buffet. Is that okay with you?” he said with a grin.

“Uh huh….,” Brian said in a suspicious tone.

“You better hurry,” Sarah said with a laugh. “They start breaking it down in fifteen minutes.”

“Damn,” AJ said as he quickly headed in the direction of the buffet.

“Just give the check to me,” Kevin said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I'm buying tonight.”

Sarah shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s on me. You guys barely ate anything with it being so close to closing time.”

“You sure?” Kevin asked.

“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll just use my employee discount. My boss won’t mind.”

“Well, thanks,” Kevin said appreciatively.

“No problem,” Sarah said as she offered him a fond smile.

“Man, I’m full,” Brian said as he sat back in his chair and patted his stomach.

“What did you think?” Sarah asked as she took his empty plate.

“Very good,” he stated with a smile. “I definitely enjoyed it.”

“I’m glad,” Sarah said as she collected the other two plates from their table.

“You lied!” AJ said as he came back to the table empty handed. “They already started taking back the food. All that's left is the sauce and the dried up wontons,” he said as she sat down.

Sarah laughed as she shrugged. “That happens on occasion. They must’ve decided to take everything a few minutes early.”

“It’s fine,” AJ said as he reached in his pocket and slid a piece of paper over to Brian.

“What’s that?” he asked as he took it from him.

“The new girl’s phone number.”

“Alex, really?!” Brian said as he shook his head. “You just couldn’t leave it alone, could you?”

“Well, you obviously weren’t going to do it so I did it for you.”

“I never said I wanted it to begin with,” Brian frowned as he stared at the paper in his hand.

“Oh, come on! She’s cute’ you’re single so what’s the problem?” AJ asked as he rested his hand on Brian’s shoulder. “I’m just looking out for you, man.”

“I don’t need you to hold my hand. I can get my own girls,” Brian grumbled.

“Then call her,” AJ said with a grin, slapping Brian on the shoulders before standing. “Alright, I’m going home. Amanda’s coming over later.”

“See you, AJ” Kevin said then looked over at Brian who still studying the piece of paper in his hand. “Are you going to call her?” he teased.

Brian put the piece of paper in his pocket and chuckled shyly. “I don’t know, Cuz.”

“I think you should,” Sarah piped in.

Brian looked over at her with a slight sparkle in his eye. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she said with a smile, moving closer to Brian. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Rachel wasn’t nearby. She saw Rachel across the lobby, cleaning tables and drew her attention back to Brian. “She’s really shy but super sweet.”

Brian glanced over at Rachel from across the room and sighed. “I still don’t know about this.”

“What’s the big deal?” Kevin asked as he lifted his glass to take a drink.

Brian shrugged as he sank down in his chair. “After the harsh break up with Carla, I don’t think I can go through that again.”

“Carla, your high school girlfriend?” Kevin asked as he took a sip of water and set down the glass.

“Yeah,” Brian replied softly.

“What makes you so sure that this would be a repeat of that?”

“Because the reason we broke up was a result of my career as a Backstreet Boy.”

“So you’re going to let one bad break up ruin your love life?” Kevin asked in a gentle tone. “How long do you expect to be a Backstreet Boy?”

Brian shrugged. “For as long as possible.”

“And what if you remain a Backstreet Boy for the rest of your life?”

Brian laughed a little. “Do you really think we’ll still be dancing on stage in twenty years?”

Kevin raised his brow quizzically. “Do you really think we won’t be?”

“Kevin we’re a boy band. No boy band ever lasts more than maybe ten years, at most.”

“It’s really impossible to predict what will happen, Cuz.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “What’s your point?”

“My point is that in the same way our career is unpredictable, our lives are even more unpredictable. Seize the moment, Brian. Call her and see where it goes.”

“Why do you care about this so much?”

“Because you’ve been observing her the entire time we’ve been here. You’re obviously interested. I’m encouraging you to go for it.”

“I’ll think about it,” Brian said as he slid out of his chair and stood up. “I’m going home. I'm beat.”

“Yeah, it’s been a very long day,” Kevin said as he grabbed his glass, gulping down the last of his water. “Don’t forget that we have rehearsal at 8:00 tomorrow morning.”

“How could I forget when you’ve reminded me five times today?” Brian joked. “See you in the morning.”

“Good night, Brian,” Sarah said with a wave then looked over at Kevin. “Are you gonna let me clean your table so I can go home?” she teased.

Kevin smiled softly and leaned back in his chair, looking up at her. “What are you doing after work?” he asked as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Besides watching a movie in bed?”

“That’s the only plan I had in mind,” Sarah admitted.

“Wanna grab a coffee at the diner?”

Sarah sighed to herself as she began wiping down the table. “I don’t know…”

“Come on,” Kevin urged. “We haven’t hung out in a while. Let’s have coffee and catch up.”

“I thought you have rehearsal in the morning,” Sarah said as she pushed the empty chairs under the table.

“I do,” he replied with a coy smile.

“Then why do you want to drink coffee at this hour?” she said as she gave him a playful whack on the arm with her towel.

“I’ll drink decaf,” Kevin said as he caught the towel in his hand. He gazed up at her, pulling the towel gently. “Have coffee with me.”

Sarah paused as she found herself captivated by his sparkling green eyes. Her lips pursed into a frown as she tugged the towel away from him. “Kevin…”

His eyes softened as he looked at her. “Please?” he begged with a gentle hand on top of hers, his voice lowering an octave.

Sarah looked down at his hand on top of hers and sighed. “Alright...but I don’t want to be out too late. Maybe until midnight.”

“Will you turn into a pumpkin?”he joked.

Sarah laughed as she gave him a playful shove. “Get out of the chair so I can finish cleaning.”

Kevin laughed as he stood, sliding the chair under the table. “How long will it take you to close?”

“Well, Rachel knocked out almost the entire lobby so probably about ten minutes. I just have to finish cleaning this table and take back the last bucket of dirty dishes.”

“Great, I will go wait in the parking lot for you.”

“Don’t be getting mobbed while you wait,” she teased.

“I’ll try not to,” Kevin said with a laugh as he headed to the door.

Sarah smiled to herself as she finished cleaning the table. As she turned around, she saw Rachel walking towards her, looking red in the face.

“Oh, my God,” Rachel said as she covered her face.

Sarah laughed at Rachel’s girly reaction. “How did AJ get your number?”

“He suckered me into it,” Rachel said as she looked up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe I did that.”

“Relax, you’ll be fine,” Sarah said as she walked over to the drink station to gather the last of the serving pitchers.

Rachel followed her and dropped her wet towel onto the cart. “You don’t think he’ll call, do you?”

“He might,” Sarah replied with a smirk.

“Oh, God,” Rachel muttered as she poured a pitcher of water down the sink drain.

“He’s just a guy, Rach.”

“Yeah, a really hot guy whose face is plastered all over my bedroom wall,” Rachel said flatly.

“There goes your sex life,” Sarah joked.

Rachel playfully smacked Sarah on the arm. “Sarah!”

Sarah laughed as she poured the last two pitchers of water. “I’m just saying!”

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t call. Maybe he’ll meet some really hot girl and forget about me.”

“I’m pretty sure you were the hot girl he was into.”

Rachel rolled her eyes and took the pitchers from Sarah. “I’m not hot,” she said as she placed the pitchers into the dish bin.

“Come on, give yourself a little credit. “You’re a very pretty girl. Guys are going to find you attractive.”

“Whatever,” Rachel said as she picked up the dish bin and took it into the kitchen.

It landed on the counter with a loud clunk as Rachel huffed to herself, untying her apron as she followed Sarah to the break room. “I should’ve never given AJ my number. I’m an idiot.”

Sarah smiled as she took off her apron and pulled her purse out of her locker. “You’re not an idiot. You saw the opportunity and you took it. Anyone would’ve done it.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t answer when he calls,” Rachel said as she grabbed her purse out of her own locker.

Sarah raised her brown as she shut her locker. “Don’t you dare do that to him. Brian doesn’t deserve that. You gave out your number. You should have the decency to pick up the phone when he calls.”

Rachel sighed as she dug her keys out from the bottom of her purse. “You’re right. I should answer his call.”

“Good,” Sarah said as she flung her purse over her shoulder.

“Are we still on for tomorrow?” Rachel asked she followed Sarah towards the door.

“I think so. I don’t see any reason why not. Call me in the morning to make sure.”

“Sounds good,” Rachel replied as she opened the door, glancing over at Kevin who was leaning against his car. She raised her brow and smirked at Sarah. “And what plans do _you_ have this evening?”

Sarah chuckled and locked the restaurant door behind them. “We’re just going to coffee,” she said as she looked at Rachel who was grinning. “We’re just friends,” Sarah said.

“Uh huh,” Rachel teased.

Sarah shook her head and gently shoved Rachel away. “Call me in the morning.”

“You sure you’ll be awake?” she asked with a giggle.

”Oh, my God, shush!” Sarah said while laughing.

“Call me in the morning.”

“I will,” Rachel said as she quieted her laughter. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Sarah echoed and walked over to Kevin.

“Ready?” he asked with a soft smile.

“Yeah, I’ll follow you out there.”

“Leave the car. We’ll come back for it afterwards.”

Sarah sighed as she stared at Kevin’s car hesitantly. She watched him open the passenger door and gestured for her to get in. She frowned as she put her keys back into her purse.

“Alright, but don’t forget that I said midnight.”

“Oh, right, the whole turning into a pumpkin thing,” Kevin joked as she got into the car.

“You’re not funny,” Sarah said.

“You’re right, I’m not. I’m hilarious,” he said with a laugh and shut the passenger door.


	8. Chapter 8

The music was turned down low as Kevin slowly drove through the parking lot of the diner, choosing a spot near the entrance. Sarah sat quietly in the passenger seat as Kevin put the car in park and turned off the ignition. Frowning to herself, she shifted in her seat, wincing a little from the pain in her lower back. The pain was mostly due to standing on her feet all day but some of it was triggered by the bruise that Keith had left on her back from the night before. Having a fight with Keith was a daily occurrence, but Sarah hid the evidence well with her tough exterior and her choice of modest clothing. Nobody knew of the battles she fought every day, but over the years, she suspected that Kevin was starting to catch on. Keith wasn’t Kevin’s favorite person and he was never shy about his opinion. Sarah was confident that if Kevin ever found out what really went on behind closed doors, he’d want Keith dead. However, instead of adding on to her own problems, she chose to keep Kevin in the dark for as long as she possibly could.

Letting out a weary sigh, she undid her seatbelt and opened the door, grabbing her purse that sat on the floorboard. A part of herself was looking forward to hanging out with Kevin but the other part was dreading coming home late after work. His moods were unpredictable and it often varied upon how many beers he’d drank prior to his emotional outbursts. She frowned as she dug into her purse and pulled out her blue Nokia phone, glancing at the screen and contemplating on whether she should call home or not. If Keith knew who she was with, he’d be furious. Keith’s jealous personality has always been a problem in their relationship and Kevin was the one person he despised the most. Sarah tightly pressed her lips together as she put the phone back in her purse, deciding against calling him. It wasn’t worth the risk of ruining time with her only close friend and it certainly wasn’t worth more bruises that would be left behind after the fight. Closing her eyes for a moment, Sarah sucked in a sharp breath as the muscles in her back tensed up and put pressure on her bruise. She exhaled slowly and glanced over at Kevin who was observing her from his position in the driver’s seat.

“You okay?” he asked softly, creasing his brow in concern.

Sarah slowly nodded as she forced herself to look him in the eyes. “I’m good. Just worn out. It’s been a really long day,” she said as she jumped at the sound of her phone buzzing in her purse.

Sarah quickly opened her purse, grabbed the phone, and looked at the caller ID. She let out a breath of relief when she saw that it was a 1-800 number. It was probably a bill collector, but it was better than Keith calling. She shoved the phone back in her purse and glanced back at Kevin, who was still eyeing her suspiciously. 

“Sarah?” 

Sarah nodded, zipped up her purse, and frowned as she glanced over at him. “Kevin’s, everything’s fine. I was just checking to see if Keith called.”

Kevin raised his brow as he shoved his keys into his pocket. “Did he?”

“No...he didn’t call,” she replied softly.

“Good,” Kevin said flatly.

Sarah rolled her eyes and sank down in her seat. “Kevin, don’t start.”

“What? The guy’s a prick and I don’t understand why you’re still with him.

Sarah groaned as she hung her right leg out the passenger door. “Are we going in or what?”

“Just a second,” Kevin said as he leaned closer to her, opening the glove compartment. “I should probably wear my hat,” he said as he dug his hand inside.

Sarah bit her bottom lip as she observed the chiseled profile of his face. The faint scent of his cologne wafted over her. The musky fragrance enticed her for a moment as he casually pressed his shoulder into hers, pulling the hat out of the glove compartment and shutting it before slipping the hat onto his head. 

“Ready when you are,” he said as he opened the driver’s door and clicked the lock button. 

Sarah smiled as she slid out of the passenger seat and shut the door behind her, pulling the bottom of her T-Shirt to cover her backside as she walked with Kevin to the door. Like a true gentleman, he opened the door for her and let her go in first. A soft breeze from the air conditioner blew over her head as she glanced over her shoulder at Kevin who was close behind. The smell of fresh coffee reached her nose as they waited at the hostess stand. She took a moment to observe her surroundings and felt herself begin to relax a little. There was no crowd to disturb their quiet get together. The place was pretty vacant, aside from a few college students sitting at various tables with books and notepads sprawled out in front of them. There was a quiet chatter coming from a nearby waitress offering refills on coffee and the clatter of the kitchen workers washing dishes and preparing food. Sarah drew her attention at the hostess as she approached them with a welcoming smile.

“Table for two?” she asked as she gathered the menus.

“Yes, table for two,” Kevin replied softly and tilted his head back, arching his neck in the direction of the back room that’s normally reserved for parties. “Could we maybe have a table in that back room where there aren’t any people?” he asked as he lifted his Kentucky ballcap just a little. He smiled at the waitress as she grinned at him. “Would that be possible?”

The hostess giggled as she nodded, gripping the menus tighter against her chest. It was obvious that she was a fan. “I can do that,” she said as she beamed happily and turned around to lead them to the party room, seating them at a table in the corner. “I’ll let your server know you’re back here,” she said quietly.

“Thank you very much,” Kevin said with a soft smile, grabbing the pen that was in her hand before reaching for a napkin and scribbling his name across it. “It’s greatly appreciated, uh…,” he said as he looked at her nametag. “Jennifer. We appreciate this, Jennifer,” he said as he handed her the napkin.

“It’s no problem at all,” she said with a nervous giggle and walked away, clutching the napkin in her hand.

Sarah rolled her eyes and looked over at Kevin. “Smooth, Mr. Big Shot.”

“Fame has its perks,” Kevin said as he pulled out a chair and gestured for Sarah to sit down.

Sarah shook her head while smiling at him. “You’re a snob.”

“I am not and you know it,” he said as he gestured again for her to sit down.

Sarah smiled appreciatively and sat down. “Thank you,” she said as he slid the chair under her. 

“You’re welcome,” Kevin replied and took a seat across from her.

A few moments later, their server came with glasses of water. Kevin looked at the menu for a moment then handed it back to the waitress. “I’ll have a pot of coffee and a slice of apple pie.”

“You want ice cream with that?” the waitress asked as she jotted down his order.

“No ice cream,” he said as he looked at Sarah. “And whatever she’d like.”

“Just a coffee and a cinnamon roll with extra icing,” Sarah said as handed the waitress her menu.

“Alright, I’ll have that out shortly,” the waitress replied and walked away with the menus.

“Thanks for coming out with me,” Kevin said as he undid his silverware bundle.

“Thanks for inviting me,” Sarah said as she looked at the waitress who had returned with a pot of coffee and quickly departed.

“We were long overdue for some friend time,” Kevin said with a smile.

“Agreed.”

“So what’s new?” Kevin asked as he grabbed the coffee pot and poured some into his mug.

“Nothing’s new,” Sarah said as she held up her mug to let Kevin pour coffee into it.

“I find that hard to believe,” Kevin said as he filled her mug and set the pot back down on the table.

Sarah shrugged as she poured half and half into her coffee. “All I ever do is work,” she replied with a sigh.

“Maybe that’s the problem,” Kevin said with a raised brow.

Sarah rolled her eyes as she stirred sugar into her mug. “Like I have a choice,” she muttered. “I’ve got bills to pay.”

“I thought you were getting a promotion,” Kevin asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

Sarah clenched her jaw and sighed to herself, not wanting to relive the stressful events that occurred earlier in the day. “It’s hard to say if that will happen or not. We’ll see,” she said flatly.

“You don’t really seem that happy to be working there,” Kevin said as he raised his mug back up to his lips. “That’s not good, Sar.”

“Yeah, well, it’s no Disney, but it pays my bills,” she said with a shrug.

“Come on, Sarah. There’s more to life than working and paying bills. Do you want me to make some calls and see if you can get your old job back at Disney?”

Sarah frowned as she recollected memories from working there. She loved working as Snow White but just like everything else in her life, Keith managed to ruin it for her by fracturing her wrist with a baseball bat. Her chest tensed up as she thought about the horrific event and took another long sip of her coffee. 

“Kevin, do you really think they’d hire me back after I failed to show up for work two days in a row? You and I both know they wouldn’t. Let’s face it, I screwed it up.”

“It wasn’t your fault that you got into that car accident and landed in the hospital. Maybe they’ll reconsider.”

Sarah closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head, her stomach sinking with guilt for lying to him in the first place. Kevin had no idea what really happened that day and she hated keeping the truth from him. Letting out a deep sigh, she set her mug down and rubbed her temples before glancing over at him. 

“I really don’t want to talk about work right now,” she said wearily.

Kevin nodded as he held a hand up in submission. “Alright, this a work free conversation.”

“Thank you,” Sarah said she took a sip of her coffee.

“So how’s rehearsal for the tour going?” she asked with a smirk.

“I thought we weren’t talking about work,” Kevin said with a laugh.

Sarah returned the laughter and shrugged her shoulders. “Your work doesn’t count because it’s your life.”

“Fair enough,” Kevin said as the waitress brought them their food. He gave a nod of appreciation and focused back on Sarah. “It’s gonna be our best tour for sure,” he said as he took a bite of his pie.

“You think so?” Sarah said as she began tearing apart her cinnamon roll with her fingers.

“Yeah, we got all the kinks worked out during the European tour so the US tour is going to be amazing. Lots of cool surprises,” Kevin said with a soft smile as he observed her tearing apart her pastry. “What in the world are you doing to that cinnamon roll?”

Sarah looked at him and sheepishly chuckled as she licked the icing off her fingers. “Making my entire cinnamon roll gooey by smothering the edges with the excess icing.”

“You’ve massacred it,” Kevin said with a belly laugh.

Sarah looked down at her misshapen cinnamon roll and laughed. “Don’t make fun of my procedure,” she said as she continued to pull it apart. “It works best when it’s fresh. The icing oozes on every inch of dough,” Sarah instructed then looked up at Kevin who was smiling at her. She felt her cheeks burn and rolled her eyes. “Stop making fun of me,” she said as she wiped her fingers with a napkin and threw it at him.

Kevin laughed and threw the napkin back at her. “You’re weird but you’ve my friend and I love you anyway.”

Sarah’s cheeks burned hotter as she began eating her cinnamon roll with a fork. “Thanks,” she said quietly.

“So you should come see the show when we come back to Orlando in December.”

Sarah looked at him, her stomach sinking a little. She never openly admitted it, but she hated when Kevin was away. Being without him made it harder for her to handle her relationship with Keith. A frown slowly settled into her face as she stared down at her cinnamon roll, suddenly no longer having the appetite to consume it. Sarah forced herself to look at him. She sat back in her chair and idly picked at the cinnamon roll with her fork.

“I forgot you were going back on tour soon. You’ve only been home like three weeks and now you’re leaving to tour the U.S.”

Kevin nodded, his eyes locking with hers. He tilted his head in concern. “You seem bothered by that.”

Sarah sucked in a deep breath, trying to control the sudden urge to cry. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I just miss you when you’re busy,” Sarah admitted as she stared at Kevin. She offered him a forced smile, knowing it didn’t reach her eyes.

Kevin set his fork down and stared deeper into her eyes, leaning in slightly as he kept his focus on her. “What is really bothering you?”

Sarah creased her brow and shook her head. “Kevin--,” she said, slightly jumping at the touch of his hand on top of hers.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Sarah sighed as she slid her hand away from his and caught a tear before it could fall down her cheek. “Don’t worry about it.”

“You know I can’t do that,” he said softly, leaning back in his chair. “Should I take you back to your car?”

She sniffled and inhaled deeply as she reluctantly nodded. “I...um...I should probably get home anyway.”

Kevin frowned as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, opening it, and laying a 50 dollar bill on the table. “Alright, let’s go,” Kevin said with a serious tone.

Sarah scowled as she watched him stand up, regretting the fact that she allowed herself to grow emotional in front of him.

“We don’t really have to go,” Sarah said meekly as she looked down at the cinnamon roll that she’d barely eaten.

Kevin stepped over to her side of the table and gently picked up her plate. “Come on. We’ll get a box on the way out,” he said in a gentle tone.

Sarah let out a sigh as she stood up from her chair, wincing a little as a surge of pain went through her back. She grunted softly as she slowly straightened her back and made her way to the front entrance. Kevin stopped by the hostess stand and politely asked for a box. The hostess took the plate from him and promptly returned with the cinnamon roll inside a take out box. He politely thanked the hostess and led Sarah outside to the car. Kevin wordlessly unlocked the car and Sarah slid into the passenger seat, clenching her jaw as the movement triggered more pain in her back. As she settled into her seat, she fastened her seatbelt and hesitated to look at Kevin as he backed out of the parking lot and headed back to the main road. She wasn’t sure if he was upset or focused on getting her back to her car. 

Sarah slowly glanced over at him as they stopped at a red light and he reached over to adjust the dial on the air conditioner, turning the fan on low. “Is that too cold?” he asked as he raised the temperature a little.

“No, it’s fine,” she mumbled as she slumped down in her seat.

“You sure?” he asked as the light turned green and he followed the traffic in front of him.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Sarah said as she focused on the street lights they had passed by.

Kevin turned up the music a little bit and hummed along to the radio as he continued to drive back to her car. Despite his calm demeanor, Sarah couldn’t help but to sense that he was holding in his true emotions, which he was notorious for doing. Clasping her hands in her lap, she exhaled silently. Kevin turned down the next street which lead them in the direction of her work. He slowed down to take a right hand turn and maneuvered his car close to hers and put it in park. Sarah timidly looked at him as he turned off the ignition and glanced her way.

“I’ll wait here until I know you’re safe in your car and headed home.”

Sarah slowly nodded, not wanting to move from her spot in the passenger seat. “We really didn’t have to come back so soon.”

Kevin shrugged as he relaxed in his seat. “It’s fine. I have rehearsal early in the morning anyway.”

“Right…,” Sarah said as she undid her seatbelt, leaning in closer to give him a quick one arm hug. 

“Call me tomorrow,” Kevin said. “Maybe we can do dinner or something.”

Sarah smiled softly as she opened the passenger door. “I’d like that.”

“Good night,” he said softly.

“Good night,” she echoed, shutting the car door and swiftly turning around to get in her car.

She unlocked the car and slid into the driver’s seat, frowning as she shut the door. She didn’t really like how she ended the night with Kevin. She knew he would be pressing her with more questions in the future but right now, she couldn’t handle any more emotional stimulation.

Letting out a deep sigh, she put her key in the ignition and turned it. The car sputtered and the engine refused to turn over. Sarah clenched her jaw as she kept turning the key, hoping it would start. Pressing harder on the brake pedal, the car continued to sputter with no sign of life within the engine.

“Dammit,” Sarah whispered to herself as she tried to start it once again.

This time, the car started but it died before she could put it in reverse. Sarah frowned as she glanced in the rearview mirror. Kevin was still waiting in his car. She knew he wouldn’t leave until she was out of the parking lot. Kevin was too much of a gentleman to leave her stranded, especially at night.

Sarah pressed her foot on the brake pedal and gave it one more try. The car sputtered and quickly died with a loud rattle that came from under the hood. Sarah groaned to herself as she slumped back in her seat. She let out a silent sob as she banged her hand against the steering wheel in frustration.

“Fucking piece of shit car!” she shouted as she allowed herself to release her frustration through a river of tears.

As she continued to sob, she heard the sound of someone knocking on her window. Wiping her face off with her hands, she looked up to see Kevin peering into the window, motioning for her to roll the window down. Exhaling softly, she grabbed the handle and cranked it down. He bent down, resting his arm on the roof of her car. His eyes softened as he observed the tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Car won’t start?” he asked in a gentle tone.

Sarah shook her head as she turned her face away from him, embarrassed that she’s falling apart in front of him. “Nope,” she said as she tried to choke back her hiccups in between the tears and sniffles.

“Has this been an issue for a while?”

Sarah nodded as she wiped her face with her hands. “I’ve been having this issue for weeks,” she said as she sniffed and looked at him. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Kevin nodded empathetically. “Come on, let me take you home.”

Sarah shook her head as she continued to sniffle. “You don’t have to do that. I can call Keith to come get me,” she said as she shakily rummaged through her purse and pulled her cell phone out.

“Sarah, we both know he won’t do that,” Kevin said flatly.

“I just don’t want to inconvenience you by taking me home and then turning around to your place that’s on the opposite side of town.”

Sarah frowned as Keith’s phone went straight to voicemail. She glanced over at Kevin as he reached into the car and gently took the phone from her, hitting the end call button with his thumb before opening the driver’s door.

“First of all,” he said as he offered her his hand. “You’re never an inconvenience,” he said softly. “And second of all, stop being so stubborn and let me take you home. Your car will be fine. If I need to, I’ll call a tow truck in the morning and have it towed to your house.”

Sarah sighed as she took his hand and let him lead her out of the car, bending down to roll the window back up before locking it shut. Kevin observed her for a moment and gently put his arm around her shoulders, leading her back to his car. He opened the passenger door and let her get situated before shutting the door and moving to the driver’s side. Sarah ran a weary hand over her face and inhaled deeply as she felt overwhelmed by a multitude of emotions. 

Kevin remained silent as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed in the direction to her house. Sarah leaned against the passenger door and stared out the window, feeling helpless as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Her breath trembled as she tried to take hold of her emotions, but every time she fought it, her chest would tighten and the sobs would start all over again. Sarah hiccupped and the pain in her back surged up her spine. She doubled over and covered her face with her hands as she continued to cry. Grabbing a pack of travel tissues from out of her purse, she gently wiped her nose and balled her fists in her lap, unable to stop her tears. 

Within a few minutes, she felt Kevin slow his car down and put it in park. Sarah sluggishly lifted her head to see that they were parked in front of her house. Kevin undid his seatbelt and placed his hand on her back, rubbing it in soothing circles. Sarah closed her eyes and focused on the familiar touch of his hand. She wiped her face again with the tissue and lifted her head, staring blankly at the dark driveway in front of them.

“I’m sorry…,” she whispered in between sniffles.

“For what?” Kevin asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Sarah shook her head as she covered her face. “For being a hot mess tonight.”

“It’s fine,” Kevin said as he stopped the circular motion and kept his hand steady on her back. “I just wish you’d tell me what’s going on.”

“It’s really complicated, Kevin,” Sarah said as she forced herself to sit up straight while wiping her nose again.

“Sarah, how long have we been friends?”

Sarah sighed as she looked at him. “Almost seven years.”

“And in that time, have you ever been able to not talk to me?”

Sarah frowned as she slouched down in her seat and shook her head. “No,” “she mumbled.

“So why start now?”

Sarah closed her eyes and turned her face away from him as the tears began to pour out once more. She heard Kevin sigh as he turned off the ignition and his headlights. He reached over and undid her seatbelt and gently pulled her closer to him. She turned to face him and instinctively buried her head into his shoulder.

“It’s so complicated, Kev…,” she whispered.

“What is?” he asked as he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

“Things with Keith…”

“Hmmm,” Kevin as he exhaled sharply through his nose.

Sarah gripped the sides of Kevin’s T-shirt and blinked tears against his shoulder. “I want to tell you, but I can’t…,” she admitted, her voice cracking with every syllable of her statement.

Kevin exhaled noisily as he cupped one hand over the back of her head. “It may be out of line for me to say this but...you deserve so much more than Keith.”

Sarah swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded wordlessly as her body trembled through a fresh flow of tears. Kevin shifted his position and gently pried her away from him and cupped his hands around her cheeks. His green eyes sparkled against the light of the streetlamp that shone through the windshield. Sarah blinked against her tears, her chin trembling as he gently wiped the tears with the pads of his thumbs.

“It hurts me to see you cry,” he whispered as his own eyes began to mist in sadness.

Sarah grimaced as she looked into his eyes. “Don’t make me feel worse than I already do,” she whispered.

Kevin looked down and shook his head. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad, Sar. I just--,” he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. “I just need to know you’re going to be okay while I’m gone.”

Sarah creased her brow and shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t make any promises…”

Kevin stared at her in silence for a moment before his eyes diverted down to her lips. Sarah held her breath for and found herself naturally leaning in closer as his lips gently pressed against hers. He moved his hands away from her face and wrapped his arms around her as he deepened the kiss. Sarah melted in his embrace as she felt every ounce of her emotional weight being lifted by the taste of his lips. She felt him tighten his embrace as they kissed and felt his arm press against the bruises on her back. Sarah winced in pain as she pulled back from the kiss, gasping as her back muscles tensed up. 

“Shit,” she muttered as she placed her hand on her back and nervously glancing over at the front door of her house, hoping that Keith couldn’t see them inside the car.

“I’m sorry,” Kevin said softly. “I shouldn’t have done that…”

Sarah released a slow breath as she brushed the hair out of her face. “I should go,” she said softly, feeling torn between awkwardness and yearning for another kiss from Kevin.

“Right,” he said with a sigh and sank down into his seat. “Call me tomorrow?”

“I promise,” Sarah said as she leaned in to give him a quick hug. “Good night.”

“Good night,” he said and returned the hug.

Sarah let go of him and opened the passenger door, leaning forward as she slid both legs out of the car. As she bent down to collect her purse, she felt the back of her T-Shirt raise, exposing a little bit of bare skin. The overhead light came on as she planted her feet onto the driveway and she felt Kevin gently grab her by the crook of her arm. Sarah turned her head and glanced at him from over her shoulder. Her eyes locked with his as he furrowed his brow and lifted the back of her shirt, revealing two large bruises that she had been hiding all night. Sarah sucked in a breath as he traced his fingers down the tender spots of the bruises. His silence made her nervous and she couldn’t conjure up anything to say. 

“Did he do this to you?” he asked, his voice thick with anger.

“Kevin, it’s not what you think. I--”

“Stop lying to me,” he sternly interrupted.

Sarah blinked in shock at the tone of his voice. He had never spoken to her that way before. Her stomach turned with guilt as she thought back to all the lies she had told him over the years. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get herself out of this mess. She felt that no matter what she did, she would risk losing Kevin and that was the last thing she wanted to happen.

“Did he do this to you?” he repeated.

Sarah looked into his eyes and slowly nodded as she moved away from him, pulling her shirt back over the bruises. “I told you it was complicated…”

“Sarah, this isn’t complicated. This is abuse! Why are you staying with him?”

“I don’t have a choice, Kevin,” she said as she began to cry again.

“Why haven’t you talked to me about this? I could’ve helped you.”

“For God’s sake, Kevin, I’m not yours to rescue!” she shouted in between sniffles.

Kevin looked away from her and stared at the house, shaking his head as he clenched his jaw. “He should not be putting his hands on you, Sarah.”

“Kevin, it’s my problem and I’ll handle it. I’m begging you to stay out of it.”

“How do you expect me to stay out of it? Look at what he’s done to your back!”

Sarah held her hand up and stared at him. “If you get involved, it’s going to make things worse,” she said as she inched her way to the passenger door. “Like I said, it’s my problem and I’ll handle it.”

Kevin pulled his glance back towards her. “I know I can’t force you to leave him but if I swear to God if I find out he put his hands on you again, I’ll kick his ass and call the cops.”

Sarah slid out of the car and turned around to look at him. “I’ll figure something out,” she said softly. “I just need some time.”

Kevin exhaled as he turned on his ignition. “Just call me tomorrow, okay?”

“I will. I promise,” Sarah said as she straightened herself up and shut the door, giving Kevin a wave as she walked in front of the car.

He turned on his headlights as she walked up the driveway and to the front door. She turned the doorknob and frowned as she discovered that the door was locked. Fishing for her keys at the bottom of her purse, she pulled them out and unlocked the door and stepped inside the dark house. Shutting the door behind her, she slipped off her shoes and placed her purse on the coat rack that hung on the wall. Sighing to herself, she quietly went into the kitchen and placed her cinnamon roll box on the counter and opened the refrigerator for a bottle of water. She grimaced as she twisted the cap off and took a long swig of water before shutting the refrigerator door. Sarah quietly walked out of the kitchen and wandered through the living room, making her way down the hall to the bedroom. Shadows of light danced from underneath the door and she sighed, knowing that Keith was in there watching TV. She carefully opened the door and stepped inside the bedroom where she saw Keith lying on the bed with the remote in her hand. He lifted his head from off the pillow and looked at her with obvious signs of irritation on his face.

“Where the hell have you been?” he asked as he sat up.

“I went to get coffee with a friend from work,” Sarah said casually as she stepped into the walk-in closet for a change of clothes.

“What friend?” he asked in a louder voice.

Sarah rolled her eyes as she rummaged through the small basket of clean clothes that sat on the floor of the closet. “My new co-worker Rachel. Is that a problem?” she asked as she pulled out an oversized T-Shirt and draped it over her arm as she returned to the bedroom, setting the shirt on the dresser as she began removing her jewelry.

Keith slowly sat up and turned off the TV. He slid off the bed and stood behind her, staring at her in the mirror as she took her earrings off. Sarah stared at his reflection and frowned as he began kissing her neck. She cringed at the touch of his lips and gently moved away from him.

“Keith, I’m exhausted,” she said as she took off her necklace and set it in her jewelry box.

“Come on, Baby, you know you want it,” he said as he grabbed her ass.

Sarah jumped and turned around to face him, scrunching her nose at the smell of alcohol on his breath. “You’re drunk,” she said as she went into the bathroom.

“That’s never stopped us before,” he said as he stood in the bathroom doorway.

Sarah scowled as she removed her clothes and tossed them into the hamper. She took her hair out of the hair tie and redid her bun before pulling the oversized T-Shirt over her head and brushed past him as she turned the bathroom light off. She barely got three steps past him before he grabbed her by the waist, digging his fingers into her flesh.

“I’m getting what I want whether you like it or not.”

Sarah jerked herself away from him and shook her head. “Stop grabbing me, Keith. I’m not in the mood.”

Keith’s face contorted with anger as he raised his hand and slapped her across the face. Sarah gasped as pain surged through her cheek. She tried to push him away but he caught her hand and bent it behind her back and swinging her across the room. Sarah cried out in pain as her back slammed against the wall and picture frame fell down and hit the top of her head. Keith charged towards her and grabbed her by the throat, squeezing hard enough to restrict her airflow. Sarah coughed and gagged against his grip clutching his hand with both her hands and attempting to pry his hand away from her throat. Keith let go of her throat and she gasped for air as he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up, carrying her to the bed. Sarah kicked and screamed as he threw her onto the bed and rolled her onto her stomach. Sarah sobbed as he lifted up her T-Shirt and laid on top of her.

“Get off of me!” she screamed, gripping the blankets as he forced himself inside of her. 

“Shut up!” Keith commanded as he began to thrust forcefully.

“Keith, stop!” Sarah shouted as she buried her face into the blankets, sobbing uncontrollably. 

Keith shoved her face into the blankets as he continued to violate her. Sarah cried against the blankets and allowed her body to go limp. A puddle of tears pooled beneath her cheek as she let her mind wander to a safe place. Within a few minutes, Keith groaned of release and shoved her off the bed as he plopped down on his stomach, sighing in a sickening satisfaction. Sarah cried as she crawled across the bedroom floor and made her way down the hallway into the living room. Forcing herself to her feet, she wearily walked over to the coat rack and grabbed her phone from her purse. She gripped it tightly in her hand as she continued to sob on her way into the spare bathroom located in the hallway. Flicking on the light, Sarah winced in pain as she observed her face and throat in the mirror. There were obvious marks on her skin and her body quaked as she looked at the phone in her hand. 

Sarah conjured up the energy to shut the door and locked it. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, sobbing as she hit the speed dial for Kevin’s number. The phone rang in her ear as she rubbed the tears off her cheeks.

“Hello?” his voice said over the phone.

“Help me…,” Sarah whispered and quickly hung up when she heard the sound of Keith shouting obscenities and banging on the bathroom door.


	9. Chapter 9

Kevin’s heart jumped into his throat as he heard Sarah’s frantic voice over the phone. He could hear Keith in the background, yelling at her to open the door. There was a loud banging noise and Sarah screamed. Kevin paced around his living room, listening to the dispute escalate.

“Sarah!” he screamed into the phone as he heard more banging and sounds of movement coming from her end of the line.

He could hear her crying and he quickly ran upstairs to his office and picked up his cordless phone. With a trembling hand, he set his cell phone on the desk and dialed 911.

“911, what’s your emergency?” said the voice of a female dispatcher.

“My friend just called me and I think she’s in trouble,” he said shakily. “You’ve gotta help her!”

“Okay, what is your name, sir?” she asked.

Kevin huffed as he stated his name. “Kevin Richardson.”

“And your phone number for verification?”

Kevin ran a hand over his face as he picked up his cell phone, listening for more coming from Sarah’s phone. His focus shifted away from the dispatcher and he barely heard the question.

“Sir?” the dispatcher said, bringing Kevin’s focus back to his cell phone.

“407-836-3111,” he stated as he listened for Sarah, holding the cell phone up to the opposite ear. He could hear garbled voices as if the phone had been tossed across the room.

“What’s the address of the friend you’re calling about?”

“223 East Concord Street,” he said with a nervous sigh. “You have to send someone quick. I can’t hear her on the phone anymore. Her boyfriend is a fucking psychopath.”

“Alright, Sir, we are sending someone her way right now. Would you like us to call you after we get a report from the police?”

“Not necessary,” Kevin said as he stood up and headed downstairs, shoving his cell phone into his pocket. “I’m heading her way.”

“Sir, we really advise against that. The police will handle it.”

Kevin clenched his jaw as he grabbed his keys off the coffee table. “I’ll see them when I get there,” he said as he hung up the phone and rushed out the door, barely stopping to lock it behind him.

Kevin stepped swiftly to his car, shoving his key into the keyhole and unlocking it before getting into the driver’s seat. He didn’t bother putting on his seatbelt as he turned on the car and hastily backed up onto the street. His back wheels squealed against the asphalt as he peeled away and headed in the direction of Sarah’s house. He went down the block and turned at the signal that lead him to the highway, to cut the travel time in half.

His usual twenty minute drive took ten minutes because he sped on the highway at 80 miles an hour. He gripped the steering wheel tightly as he focused on the exit signs, thankful that there was no traffic on the highway and no cops to pull him over in the process. Kevin spotted the sign for Concord Road and slowed down to exit the highway. He barely stopped to yield to oncoming traffic and cut in front of a red Jeep that honked loudly as he sped ahead of them. His heart beat heavily against his chest in relief of avoiding an accident and also in fear of what he might find when he arrived at Sarah’s house.

Parking his car on the street, he quickly made his way up to the door. The police had not arrived, which didn’t surprise him. The Orlando police department wasn’t known for their speedy response time. Kevin exhaled sharply, curling his fingers into a fist and banging loudly on the door. He listened for any sounds coming from inside the house but nothing was heard. Kevin creased his brow as he reached down and turned the doorknob, hoping for a miracle that it would be unlocked. He let out a breath of relief as the knob turned and he was able to quietly step inside. He silently looked around the dimly lit living room, intently listening for any sounds of movement or voices coming from within the house. There was no sign of Keith or Sarah at the front of the house so Kevin stealthily crept down the hallway, hoping to find them somewhere.

As he crept around the corner, he noticed a closed door at the end of the hallway. A small beam of light glowed at the crack located at the bottom of the door. He could hear Sarah sobbing and Keith’s voice echoed from behind the door.

“Get the fuck up!” Keith shouted.

“Let go of me!” Sarah shouted back, her voice echoing with fright.

Kevin balled up his fists as he heard something crash against the wall, followed by Sarah screaming in terror. Keith shouted loudly at her and Kevin could feel his blood boiling within his veins. Clenching his jaw tightly, he instinctively stepped back and lunged powerfully against the door with every ounce of muscle strength in his body. The door flew open with a loud crack against the wall. Kevin angrily stared at Keith who was kneeling down on the floor in front of Sarah with his hands around her wrists. He breathed heavily as he stepped toward Keith, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and pulling him up on his feet.

“What the fuck?!” Keith shouted as Kevin shoved him against the wall, wrapping his large hand around his neck.

Kevin stared into Keith’s eyes as he pressed harder against his throat, cutting off more of his airflow. Keith gagged against Kevin’s hand. He reached up and tried to pry Kevin’s hand away from his neck as Kevin pulled him down and punched him in the stomach. Keith groaned as he hit the floor and Kevin began to violently kick him in the ribs. After several kicks, Kevin reached down and pulled Keith up by the arm and stared at him intensely.

“If you _ever_ touch her again, I will fucking kill you!

__

__

Keith chuckled as he spit blood out of his mouth. His stance staggered against Kevin’s grip on his arm. He leaned in close with an evil sneer on his face. Kevin cringed at the strong scent of alcohol as he laughed breathily.

“Fuck off, Faggot. Sarah’s my bitch and there’s not a fucking thing you can do about it."

Kevin gnashed his teeth together and pulled his arm back before curling his fingers together and punching Keith in the nose as hard as he could. Keith’s body slumped over as he fell unconscious. Kevin angrily let go of him and watched him fall to the floor. He glanced over at Sarah who was slouched over the edge of the bathtub, breathing weakly. Kevin stepped over Keith and scooped her up into his arms. Sarah limply leaned against him, wavering in and out of consciousness. Kevin swallowed a lump in his throat as he observed a large gash on her right temple and blood was trickling down her face. He quickly removed his button down shirt and applied pressure to the wound. Looking down at the floor, he noticed shards of broken glass scattered across the bathroom floor. A half broken crystal vase was located on the bathmat and he exhaled deeply as he realized that the crash he heard earlier must’ve been from the vase. It was obvious that Keith had thrown it at her and it shattered on the floor.

“Sarah….can you hear me?” he asked as he leaned down to cup his hand on her cheek.

Sarah’s eyes slowly opened and looked up at him in confusion. “Kevin…” she whispered as her eyes closed again.

“Sir, step away from the girl,” said a voice from the doorway.

Kevin quickly looked up to see a male police officer, pointing a gun at him. He shook his head and held his hands up. “I didn’t do anything, officer. I’m the one who called in the 911 report,” he explained calmly.

The officer slowly approached him with the gun still in his hands. “Step away from the girl and come with me,” he said sternly. “We need a medic in here!” the officer shouted to the front of the house.

Kevin sighed as he carefully moved Sarah out of the way and stood to his feet. He continued to hold his hands up as the officer guided him out of the bathroom. Kevin walked with the officer into the living room as a group of paramedics rushed past them and went into the bathroom.

“Officer, I swear, none of this is my doing,” Kevin explained as he slowly turned to face the police officer.

The police officer put his gun back into his holster and pulled Kevin by the arm, guiding him out of the house where they were greeted by a group of three more officers. Kevin frowned as a tall Hispanic officer approached him with a notepad in his hand.

“I found this guy sitting on the bathroom floor next to two unconscoious victims, Chief.”

“Is this the guy?” asked another male officer.

“He says he’s the one that called in the report.”

The second officer approached Kevin, observing him for a moment before speaking. “What’s your name, sir?”

“I’m Kevin Richardson. I called in the report. If ya’ll had gotten here sooner, we wouldn’t have this confusion,” he said bitterly.

“Cut the attitude before I have you arrested,” the officer said firmly.

Kevin sighed as he observed the officer’s name plate located above his shirt pocket. “Look, Officer...Martinez. I can show you my ID to prove that I am who I say I am. I’m the guy who called in the report.”

Officer Martinez stared at him for a moment and nodded. “Is your ID located in your wallet?”

“Yes.”

Officer Martinez glanced over at the officer holding Kevin’s arm. “Phillips, reach into his pocket and give me his wallet.”

Kevin rolled his eyes as Officer Phillips reached into Kevin’s back pocket and grabbed his wallet, handing it to Officer Martinez. He opened it and used his flashlight to see the details of his drivers license and gave Officer Phillips another nod. 

“Let him go. The ID says he’s Kevin Richardson.”

“Thank you,” Kevin said politely as he rubbed the ache away from his arm.

“What can you tell me about the situation?” Officer Martinez asked as he guided Kevin away from the pathway of the paramedics who were rolling a gurney into the house.

“My friend Sarah lives her with her boyfriend Keith. Apparently he’s been abusing her for a while. Tonight, I was on the phone with her when he started the fight.”

Officer Martinez nodded as he jotted notes in his notepad. “So when you got the call, that’s when you called 911 to report it?”

Kevin nodded as he watched the paramedics wheel Sarah out in a gurney and placed her inside the ambulance. “Where are they taking her?” he asked as he ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Orlando Regional,” Officer Martinez replied nonchalantly. “So when you got here, what happened?” 

“The door was unlocked so I walked in. I found Keith in the bathroom with Sarah. He had thrown a crystal vase at her head.”

“Did you see him throw it at her head?”

Kevin frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose to ease the tension headache that was starting to form behind his eyes. “No, I did not.”

“Then how do you know he threw it at her head?”

“I’m just assuming because I heard a crash against the wall before I broke into the bathroom. The glass was all over the floor and Sarah’s head had an open wound.”

“Was there any contact between you and Keith?” he asked, looking up from his notepad.

Kevin sighed and slouched his shoulders as he watched the paramedics take a second gurney into the house. “Things did get physical between me and Keith.”

“Did he threaten you?”

Kevin clenched his jaw as he shook his head. “He didn’t threaten me but he was physically hurting Sarah. I walked in on him holding her by her wrists and she was screaming.”

“So you intervened?” Officer Martinez questioned.

“Yes, I intervened. He was beating the shit out of her!” Kevin said in a louder tone.

Officer Martinez frowned and shoved his notepad into his pocket. “Mr. Richardson, if you insist on using that tone with me then I will have you arrested for disorderly conduct.”

Kevin exhaled loudly and held his hands up in submission. “I’m sorry. I’m just...I just want Sarah to be okay.”

Officer Martinez nodded sympathetically as he tucked his pen into his shirt pocket. “I get it,” he said, glancing over his shoulder as the paramedics rolled Keith out on gurney and set him inside a second ambulance. “Hey, Phillips! Follow them to the hospital. I don’t want that guy going anywhere until we talk to him.”

“Got it, Chief,” Officer Phillips said as he got into his car and followed the ambulance to the hospital.

“So am I free to go or what?” Kevin asked impatiently. “I need to get to the hospital and be with Sarah.”

“We have your number. We’ll call you if we have any further questions. In the meantime, don’t leave town for the next 48 hours.”

Kevin frowned as he dug his keys out of his pocket. “Wasn’t planning on it,” he muttered and turned on his heels to his car.

As he settled into the driver's seat, he sighed as the flashing blue and red lights from the police cars bounced through his car. He put on his seatbelt and cautiously pulled onto the street and headed in the direction of the hospital. 

Kevin circled the parking lot twice before finding a parking spot and quickly running into the ER. The front desk attendant informed him that Sarah had been taken in for tests and treatment of her head trauma. There was no timeframe as to when she would be done, so Kevin waited patiently in the waiting room. As he waited, he made a few phone calls, informing people of what was going on. He watched several people come into the ER and even more people leaving after receiving treatment. A scowl formed across his face as he realized he was in for a very long night. Kevin slouched back into his chair and rested his head on his hand as he stared blankly at the TV on the wall across from him. His eyes began to grow heavy as he listened to the echoing voice over the intercom, prompting a doctor to the maternity floor. His body was coming down from his adrenaline rush and fatigue was taking over.

Hours had passed and he jolted awake at the sound of his cell phone ringing in his pocket. He sniffed his nose and sat up straight as he blinked to adjust his vision and read the caller ID screen. Kevin sighed as he opened his phone and put it to his ear.

“Hey, Brian,” he said wearily.

“I got your voicemail. Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know,” Kevin said as he ran a hand over his face. “I’m still waiting to hear from the doctor.”

“So you’re still at the hospital?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’ve been here for hours,” he replied with a sigh, glancing at his watch. “It’s almost 3 am. What are you doing up at this hour?”

“I fell asleep on the couch,” Brian said with a chuckle. “I woke up to turn off the TV and I saw your missed call.”

“I see,” Kevin said softly with a yawn.

“Do you need me to come up there and sit with you?” 

“No, I’m okay,” Kevin said with another yawn. “Hopefully the doctor will be here soon.”

“Alright...well...will I see you at the studio later?”

“I don’t really have a choice in the matter,” Kevin replied with a sigh. “I’ll be tired as shit but I’ll be there.”

“Call me later and let me know what’s going on.”

“I will. Good night, Brian.”

“Night,” Brian echoed and hung up.

Kevin shut his phone and shoved it back in his pocket as he stood up to stretch his legs. He raised his arms over his head and leaned from side to side to relax his back muscles and sighed as he sat back down. He glanced to his right and saw a doctor coming his way. Kevin stood up again and anxiously waited to hear what he had to say.

“Mr. Richardson?” the doctor questioned as he approached him.

“That’s me,” Kevin replied. “How is she doing?”

“She’s going to be fine,” the doctor assured. “We mended the wound on her head and took a few XRays. She has two broken ribs and a few bruises but there’s no sign of a concussion. She’s stable and coherent.”

“How long will she have to stay here?”

“We want to keep her overnight for observation but if she’s still doing okay after tomorrow then she should be good to go home.”

Kevin nodded, sighing of relief from the good news. “Can I see her?”

The doctor nodded as he tucked his clipboard under his arm. “She’s in room 306.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Kevin said in appreciation.

“I’ll be back in a few hours to check on her,” he said softly and headed in the opposite direction.

Kevin quickly made his way over to the elevator and took it to the third floor. He hastily glanced at the room numbers and paused when he reached room 306. He swallowed a lump of air that gathered in his throat as he quietly opened the door and peeked his head inside. The room was dark with a faint glow of the moon shining through the curtains on the window. He stepped lightly across the room and stood beside Sarah’s bed. His brow creased with worry as he observed the bandage on her head and the IV hooked up to her arm. He went around to the other side of her bed and sat in the chair, taking her hand into his. He watched her sleep for a moment and rested his forehead against their joined hands. Kevin silently prayed for God’s protection and raised his head when he felt her stirring on the bed. His eyes met hers as she looked at him wearily. Kevin wordlessly squeezed her hand and looked at her in silence.

“Thank you…,” she whispered tearfully.

Kevin stood up and gently kissed her forehead, lingering his lips against her uninjured temple. “You’re safe,” he whispered as he cradled her head in his hands before gently letting go and sitting back down in the chair, taking her hand once again. “Just sleep, Sarah. I’m not going anywhere,” he said softly, sliding his thumb over her fingers.

Sarah wearily nodded as her eyes began to droop. Kevin lifted her head to his lips and gently kissed each fingertip and watched her slowly drift back to sleep. He sighed as he observed her for a moment and adjusted his chair closer to the bed. Without letting go of her hand, he relaxed and silently stared at the wall until he fell asleep peacefully, knowing that was going to be okay.


	10. Chapter 10

Kevin stepped out of the sound booth and sighed as he plopped down on the couch next to Nick. He rubbed the fatigue out of his eyes and yawned as he reached for his water bottle that sat on the coffee table in front of him. Nick glanced over at him and gave him a light punch on the shoulder before rising to his feet.

“You’re up next,” Kevin said with another yawn.

“You’re getting old, Kev,” Nick joked. “You can’t even hang a few hours in the studio with us,” he said with a laugh.

Kevin lightly chuckled as he ran a weary hand over his face. “I had a long night, Nicky,” he said as he unscrewed the lid to his water bottle.

“I heard,” Nick said softly. “How’s Sarah doing?”

“Exhausted and in a lot of pain, but they have her on some heavy pain relievers right now. She’s been sleeping a lot but that’s really what she needs to be doing. The whole thing has me stressed out but I’m glad he didn’t hurt her any worse than he did.”

Nick nodded and patted Kevin on the shoulder. “We got you, bro,” he said before heading into the sound booth to record his vocals onto the new song.

Kevin took a long swig of his water, sighing deeply as he screwed the lid back on. He rested his head on the couch cushion, fighting sleep as he sank into the soft leather material. His eyes were slowly closing as he heard the sound of soft footsteps coming in his direction. Forcing his eyes back open, Kevin saw Brian who was approaching him with a mug in each hand. Offering him a forced smile, Kevin sat up straight and yawned again.

“You look like you could use this,” Brian said as he handed one mug to Kevin.

“Thanks,” Kevin said as he took the mug from him.

He closed his eyes, inhaling the smoky aroma of the Peruvian coffee that they always kept in stock at the studio. Bringing the mug to his lips, he sighed as the warm liquid trickled down his throat. He could taste the splash of whole milk seeping over his taste buds. The coffee was prepared with perfection. His cousin knew him well.

“Did you come straight in from the hospital or did you go home first?” Brian asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

Kevin shook his head as he swallowed another sip. “I left early this morning, took a shower, then came here.”

“I overheard you telling Nick that Sarah’s experiencing a lot of pain. I’m really sorry to hear that,” Brian said, his tone filled with sympathy and his brow creasing with deep concern.

Kevin nodded wordlessly, observing Brian as he took another sip of his coffee. Brian clenched his jaw and tightened his lips, looking down at the mug in his hands. 

“I’ve been praying for her,” he said as he shook his head in disbelief, bringing his gaze back up to Kevin. 

Brian stared at him with his eyes filled with sadness and worry. Kevin knew that look. It was the look Brian always had whenever something hurt his soul in a painfully spiritual way. It was the kind of compassion that only a man of faith could truly comprehend. Kevin smiled softly at Brian and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you for that,” he said softly.

“What are the doctors saying about her condition? Is she going to be okay?”

Kevin sniffed as he noisily shifted his position on the couch, bringing his left leg up on the and slouching back onto the cushions, holding his mug away from to keep from spilling it on himself. He settled into his position and took another sip before responding.

“They said she’ll be okay. She has two broken ribs, which will heal on their own as long as she follows the doctor's instructions. She also has a gash on the side of her head, which should heal just fine as long as she keeps it dry and bandaged up.”

“So no concussion or any other complications?” Brian asked as he continued to sip his coffee.

“No, nothing like that. She was lucky this time.”

Brian exhaled with grievance. “And what about you? How are you doing? What’s on your mind?”

“I’m starting to feel like I’m in a therapy session,” Kevin said as he glanced over at Brian and chuckled lightly.

“Well, you are lying on a leather couch,” Brian retorted with a soft smile.

“Touché,” Kevin said with a weary smile, bringing the mug back to his lips.

“But seriously, how are you doing after last night?”

Kevin swallowed the last gulp of coffee in his mug and sat up straight to set it down on the coffee table. He rubbed both hands over his face and scratched the back of his head.

“I’m just glad I got there when I did. I don’t even wanna think about what might’ve happened if I had arrived later,” he said as he stared down at his hand that was mildly swollen from punching Keith in the nose.

“Where is he now? In jail?”

“Still at the hospital because I kicked his ass. I’ll probably need to call my lawyer if he presses charges against me. Of course, he was so drunk last night that it wouldn’t surprise me if he doesn’t remember half of what happened,” he said with a long sigh.

“Please tell me, she’s gonna press charges against him. Pardon my French, but what he did was fucked up.”

Kevin shrugged and scowled as he rubbed his tender knuckles. “I don’t know what she plans to do but I do know they plan on taking him to jail when he gets released from the hospital. I spoke with one of the police officers this morning and they said they found an outstanding warrant for his arrest for failure to appear in court over a DUI he received four years ago.”

“So he could be in jail for a while then?”

“It depends on how good of a lawyer he has. It’s a crap shoot. None of us know what the outcome will be. If Sarah presses charges, that’ll likely leave him in jail a little while longer, but none of it is set in stone. That’s the scariest part about this situation,” he said as he inhaled deeply and released a slow breath of tension. His chest tightened as he furiously rubbed his eyes. “The whole thing scares the shit out of me. How am I supposed to go on tour, knowing that her life could be in danger? What’s going to happen when I’m on the road?” he asked, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape his eyes.

Kevin sat in silence for a moment, swallowing back the hiccup of sobs that were slowly rising in the back of his throat. His body trembled as he felt the weight of anxiety, fear, and worry wash over him. Kevin looked over at Brian as he struggled to speak and a dry lump formed in his throat. He shook his head as tears blinded his sight, licking his lips before clamping his mouth shut.

“I swear to God if something happens….,” he trailed off as he stopped to regain composure. Tears began streaming down his cheeks and he clenched his jaw shut to control the trembling in his voice. He sniffled and gulped back the dry lump in his throat and continued his statement. “If something happens while I’m on the road, I’ll never forgive myself.”

Brian set his mug down on the coffee table and leaned in closer to Kevin, resting his hand on his back. “What do you think she should do?”

Kevin shook his head as he sniffled and quickly rubbed the tears away from his cheeks. “She can’t stay in that house. That’s the first place he’d go looking for her.”

“Maybe one of the girls could take her in or we can help her find a new place.”

Kevin exhaled loudly and leaned his head down, staring at the checkered pattern of the carpet beneath his feet. “If it were up to me, I’d take her in,” he said as he slowly raised his head and focused on Brian. “But it isn’t up to me. She has to make that decision.”

“I take it you haven't had an opportunity to talk to her about this?”

“Not yet,” Kevin said as he glanced at his watch. “It’s getting close to the end of our time slot for the day. I think I’m gonna head back to the hospital.”

Brian nodded and patted Kevin on the back. “Keep us posted. You know all of us will help in any way we can.”

“I know,” Kevin said as he stood up and stretched his legs. “I’ll call you later.”

“See you tomorrow,” Brian said as Kevin headed out the studio and shut the door behind him.

Kevin wearily walked down the hallway, frowning as his steps began to wobble a little. Exhaustion was settling heavily upon him, both physically and mentally. He frowned as he slowed down his steps to keep his balance and went around the corner of the hallway leading him to the main entrance of the building. He pushed on the door and stepped out into the fresh air, spotting AJ and Amanda walking towards him from the parking lot. He politely waved as they approached him.

“It’s about time you came back. The day’s almost over,” Kevin teased.

“We stopped for lunch after I ran my errands,” AJ said as he took the last drag of his cigarette and tossed the butt into the outdoor ashtray that stood beside Kevin.

“I’ve already recorded all my parts of the new song and my voice is shot so I’m leaving for the day.”

“We stopped by the hospital to see Sarah,” Amanda said as she reached up on her tiptoes to give Kevin a hug. “How are you? Are you okay?” she asked as he returned the hug and slowly let go.

“I’m okay. Exhausted, but okay,” he said with obvious heaviness in his voice.

“I can imagine,” Amanda said as she gently rubbed his arm. “Are you going back to the hospital to see her?”

“Yeah, for a little bit but I’ll probably go to bed early tonight. I’m barely functioning as it is,” he admitted as he looked down at her, knowing they could see the exhaustion in his eyes. “Was she awake when you saw her?”

“Mostly,” AJ piped in, pulling his sunglasses away from his eyes and cleaning them with the bottom of his white T-Shirt. “We didn’t stay long. Maybe twenty minutes at most.”

“She was pretty out of it and emotionally distraught,” Amanda admitted with a sigh. “How did any of us not realize what was going on between her and Keith? I mean, I always thought he was a prick but I didn’t think he was physically abusing her.”

Kevin shrugged as he dug his keys out from the front pocket of his jeans. “I’ve heard of abuse victims becoming good liars and knowing how to hide it well. She obviously mastered the art of that,” he said darkly.

“Why would she want to stay with someone like that? I don’t understand,” Amanda questioned.

“Things like this never make any sense, unfortunately,” Kevin said as he curled his fingers around his keyring.

“Do you know when they’ll be releasing her from the hospital?”

“The doctor seemed pretty confident that she’ll be able to go home tomorrow. She has two broken ribs but, unfortunately, the only thing she can do is take pain reliever and take it slow. The bones will have to heal on their own.”

“She’s lucky to have you,” Amanda said as she gave Kevin’s arm a squeeze.

“Yeah…,” Kevin said softly. “I’ll see ya’ll tomorrow. I’m gonna head that way.”

“Okay, call if you need anything,” Amanda said as she grabbed AJ’s hand and followed him into the building.

Kevin got into his car and turned the radio down low as he backed out of the parking lot, fixing his rear view mirror as he put the car into drive. He let out a yawn, realizing that the one cup of coffee he had earlier wasn’t enough to pull him out of his sluggish mindtrap. He sighed, glancing over at a drive-thru coffee shop located at the end of the parking lot, deciding he needed more caffeine before going back to the hospital. Kevin turned the car around and pulled into their drive-thru and ordered himself a small coffee.

As he pulled onto the main street, he took a sip of his coffee and set it inside the cup console and focused on the traffic in front of him. He was grateful that the hospital wasn’t far from the studio and the commute wouldn’t be horrendous on a Thursday afternoon. The sun beamed down on the hood of his car, causing a glare that made it difficult to see. Kevin frowned as he reached over to his dashboard and opened a small compartment where he stored his sunglasses and spare change. He flicked open the glasses and slipped them onto the bridge of his nose as he turned at the signal in the direction of the hospital.

Kevin spotted a parking space near the main entrance and locked his car before heading inside. He took in a deep breath of the humid Florida air and shoved his keys into his pocket; clutching his cup of coffee in the opposite hand. He sipped his coffee as he walked up the parking lot; his legs feeling heavier with each step. He walked into the large automatic sliding doors and shivered at the drastic change in temperature between the cold air conditioning and the muggy air outside. Kevin inhaled the putrid aseptic smell that wafted through the hospital and cringed internally. He hated hospitals. Being inside one triggered too many painful memories of his father dying of colon cancer and Brian having heart surgery. The last place he wanted to be was at another hospital, visiting someone who meant the world to him.

As he slowly walked through the hallway of the main lobby, his sneakers lightly squeaked against the shiny linoleum floor. He observed the signs on the wall, guiding him towards the elevators and stopped in front when he spotted the gift shop. He observed the display of flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals that were sitting in the window. Kevin hesitated for a moment, contemplating if he should purchase something. He tilted his head as a small teddy bear located at the front of the display caught his eye. The teddy bear was dressed as Snow White. He softly chuckled as he observed it for a moment and redirected his steps toward the gift shop entrance.

As he walked into the gift shop, he saw a basket full of Snow White bears and carefully picked one up, turning it over to observe the quality of the bear. He lightly brushed his thumb across the fuzzy material and squeezed it in the palm of his hand. Tucking it under his arm, he continued to wander through the gift shop, wanting to add something more to his present. He spotted a small turquoise vase of gerbera daisies and held the teddy bear beside it. A soft smile formed across his lips as he admired the two items together and decided it was perfect.

After he purchased his gift, Kevin made his way back to the elevator and went up to the third floor where Sarah’s room was located. He quietly opened the door to her room and stepped inside. Kevin was relieved to find her sitting up in bed, awake and watching the scenery outside her window. He approached her and softly smiled as she turned her head to look at him.

“You’re awake,” Kevin said softly as he set the vase of flowers beside her bed and scooting the chair by the window closer to her.

“Barely,” Sarah joked as Kevin set the bear on the bed. A smile spread across her face as she picked it up and admired the Snow White costume on the bear. “Aw, Kev…,” she said as she nuzzled it under her chin. “This is so cute.”

“I knew you’d love it,” he said with a smile, chuckling as she tucked it securely under her arm, running her fingers through the soft fur on the bear’s head.

“Yeah…I do…,” Sarah replied as she wearily laid her head against her pillow and looked at him with a fatigued smile.

Kevin took a seat in the chair and observed Sarah for a moment, timidly grabbing her hand. “How are you feeling?” he asked, feeling relieved when she laced her fingers with his.

“I’m okay. All things considered,” she said as she rested her other hand across her torso.

“Are you in pain?” he asked as he set his coffee cup beside the vase of flowers.

“Not right now, no,” Sarah said as she glanced over at the vase. “Beautiful flowers,” she said with a fond smile.

“It’s just a little something to brighten the room,” Kevin said as he nodded in the direction of the bear. “And that too, of course.”

Sarah looked down at her bear and placed it back onto her lap, smiling as she played with the fur on the bear’s arm.

“Where did you find this?” she said as she traced her fingers over the ears. 

“In the gift shop,” Kevin said with a chuckle. “It reminded me of you at Disney.”

Sarah lifted up the bear again and snickered as she smoothed out the wrinkles on the dress. “I was a pretty good Snow White.”

“The best,” Kevin said with a smile and grabbing his coffee before leaning back in his chair. “Have you had very many visitors today?”

“AJ and Amanda stopped by earlier but that’s it. I’ve gotten a lot of phone calls from people who found out about it,” she said with a shrug.

“You have a lot of people worried about you,” he said as he took a long sip of his coffee.

Sarah sighed and set the bear beside her leg. “I know.”

“Have you thought about what you’re going to do when they release you tomorrow?”

“Go home, I guess,” she said with a grimace.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t like that option,” Kevin replied with a sigh.

“Well, what choice do I have? I don’t have anywhere else to go,” Sarah said with a loud huff.

Kevin ran a hand over his face and looked at her, pondering for a moment. He sat up straight and leaned closer to the bed. “Okay, I’m hesitant to even suggest this, but don’t bite my head off when I say it.”

Sarah raised a brow and kept her focus on him. “What?”

“You could always...you know...stay with me?” he said, feeling insecure about his suggestion.

Sarah closed her eyes and lifted her head toward the ceiling. “Kevin--”

“I know, I know. I’m not trying to tell you what to do. It was just a suggestion.”

Sarah kept her eyes closed as she shook her head. “Why do you always feel the need to be the hero when it comes to me?”

Kevin frowned as he slouched back down. “Because I care, Sarah. I care a lot.”

Sarah opened her eyes and winced as she shifted her body to look at him directly. “I know you do, but don’t you ever get tired of fixing my mistakes?”

“Not when it comes to you,” he said, his voice low and serious. 

“But that isn't how it should be. It’s not your responsibility. Why should you disrupt your life to rescue me?” Sarah said as her voice began to lightly quake. “It’s not your fault that I’m a fuck up.”

Kevin furrowed his brow as he grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it. “Hey...don’t say that. You’re not a fuck up.”

“Well, only a fucked up person would stay in this situation for this long,” she said as she sniffled.

Kevin sighed and stood up, gently sitting on the edge of her bed. Sarah wiped the tears off her cheeks and quietly sobbed, looking away from him. Kevin’s heart broke into pieces as he watched her cry. He hated seeing her this way. He carefully reached over and grabbed her other hand, holding both them lovingly as he leaned in closer. Kevin looked at her until she eventually locked her eyes with his. Letting go of one hand, he carefully cupped his hand on her tear stained cheek.

“I am not going to let you go through this alone. Please don’t shut me out. Not this time,” he said in a hoarse whisper.

Sarah held her side as she quietly sobbed. She leaned her head down and sniffled wordlessly. Her slim, feminine hand trembled in his grip and her black hair cascaded over her face. Kevin gently tucked her hair behind her ear and guided her to rest her head upon his shoulder. He grimaced as he cupped his hand over the back of her head and kissed her forehead before carefully sliding his arm around her and shifting his body to where he was laying beside her. Sarah rested her head on his chest as he rubbed his hand on her back, resting his cheek against the top of her head.

“You don’t have to come stay with me if you’re not comfortable with it. At least let me help you find somewhere to go. Someplace where Keith can’t find you.”

Sarah nodded as she inhaled a shaky breath. “I wanna stay with you,” she mumbled as she buried her face into his chest, gripping the front of his blue Kentucky T-Shirt.

“Are you sure?” Kevin asked as he continued rubbing her back, slightly surprised that she agreed so quickly.

Sarah raised her head and looked Kevin in the eyes, tears flooding down her cheeks. “You’re the only one I completely trust.”

Kevin stared into her eyes for a moment and nodded. “Okay,” he said softly. “I’ll make some arrangements and you’ll be moved out of there in a couple of days. In the meantime, I’ll stop by your house and get a few things to get you settled into the guest bedroom at my place.”

“Thank you,” Sarah said, her voice barely above a whisper as she laid her head back onto his chest.

Kevin smiled warmly and ran his fingers through her hair. “No need to thank me. I’d do anything for you.”

“I know,” Sarah replied with a yawn, holding her side as she inhaled deeply.

Kevin glanced at his watch and gently slid away from her, guiding her to lay her head upon her pillow. “I should let you get some rest,” he said as he rearranged the blankets on her bed and covered her up to her torso before planting a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ll come by tomorrow when they release you. I’m going into the studio early so I can be here to pick you up.”

“Okay,” Sarah replied as her eyes began to droop a little. 

“Good night,” Kevin whispered as he smoothed out her hair.

He watched her for a moment as her eyes closed after mumbling incoherently. It was obvious that the pain medication had fully kicked in and she was quickly falling into a deep slumber. Her face appeared weary from emotional stress and physical exhaustion. He watched her sleep for a moment and looked up as the night shift nurse came in to check her fluids and update the dry erase board. Giving the nurse a polite nod, he quietly left the room feeling relieved that Sarah was safe for another night.


End file.
